Facade
by Saturday's Sun
Summary: Lily Evans is the top student and a legendary character at Hogwarts. All this is a facade and pretense, and no one knows it, except her frenz. James and the other Maruders come in as SMART transfer students. Lily fears for her reputation and the temptatio
1. Facade

"Hey, look!"

"There she goes!"

"Isn't she just wonderful?" 

Those murmurs echoed through the hall like bells ringing in the chapel when couples got married in the name of love.

Lily Evans walked past and smiled humbly at the boys staring at her with their mouth opens. The boys all came from different houses, including Amos Diggory, Gerrard Barrowcliffe, Samuel Farley and Kye Bradford, the four most eligible bachelors from the four different houses respectively.

She smiled modestly at all of the boys while inwardly, she laughed out loud at the popularity she was facing. She had done it. She had made her name known in Hogwarts; she was Head Girl of the seventh grade; the year was only starting and yet there were already boys admiring her and girls getting jealous of her; she was a pet for most of the teachers. She had fulfilled her dreams.

She walked back to her dormitory room, said the password and her other three friends greeted her half-heartedly. They seemed to be engrossed in some other juicy gossip.

Cheryl McNiece was lying on the couch, relaxed and was listening intently on something Jamie Kincaid was saying.

"As I said-" Jamie's voice trailed off as she watched Lily change totally. It was almost like watching a transformation happen. Lily took out her tie with a flourish and let her tightly bound fiery red hair loose. Then she tied it into two stupid looking ponytails at two sides of her head. 

"Jamie, carry on…" said Melissa Corwell, even though she herself was amazed at the way Lily, the smart and pretty Head Girl that _seems to everyone, can change into something not so pretty. Although Lily's three bosom friends had seen this "transformation" many times, they were still amazed at the fact that the Lily Evans standing right in front of them can be two different persons just in a few minutes, or even seconds._

"What are you all looking at me for?" Lily demanded as she stripped out of her decent white blouse and gray checkered skirt and fit her body snugly into a pair of outrageously colored shorts and equally colorful spaghetti straps. 

"Nothing…" the three of them muttered. 

Lily did not seem satisfied with that answer but she made do with it. After all ,she was too busy to bother about these minor details.

She walked over to the table Melissa and Jamie were sitting at, snatched her thick black horn rimmed glasses and put them on. Then, hastily, she took out all her homework out of her cauldron and settled down in front of the hearth to complete them. Even though they did not have to be handed in the next day.

Cheryl shook her head as she saw Lily prop her elbows on the thick rug and lie on her flat tummy. 

"Don't you ever stop doing homework?" Cheryl half-shouted, knowing that when Lily was doing her homework, nothing or rather, no one, could stop her. She really couldn't hear anything clearly.

"Sure." 

All three of them raised their eyebrows in unison to show their disbelief. 

Lily looked up for a moment and smiled half-heartedly. "I also do research in the library at times, you know."

Exasperated sighs followed.

It took all of Melissa not to roll her eyes heavenward. Dealing with Lily really was the most exasperating thing in the whole wide world.

Jamie figured that if she had that much work to do or complete, even if it wasn't due the next day, she would definitely swoon. So, instead of imagining the impossible, she went back to the topic the three of them were discussing about before they experienced the three hundred and thirty six degree change in front of them.

"I tell you, it's true!" Jamie emphasized every word.

"But… why would any one be transferred at this time of the year?"

"The year has barely started, you know." Cheryl pointed out the fact to Melissa.

"But… it's seventh grade and I heard the transfer students are from the seventh grade, too." Melissa insisted.

Cheryl shrugged.

"Transfer students?" Lily's ears couldn't help but perk up at the sound of the two special and 'extraordinary' words.

Melissa snorted. "Since when did you care about transfer students?"

Lily rolled her eyes, as if the answer was most obvious.

"Since I'm Head Girl." 

Jamie dragged her "oh" in such a way that nobody really believed that she truly understood.

Lily continued. "What about transfer students, then?"

Cheryl shrugged once more and explained to Lily the rumor all three of them heard in the Great Hall today. She couldn't help but add that Lily was probably from Mars since it seemed like everyone knew what was going on except her.

Lily ignored the last remark and instead rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

"Hmmm…" she said, in deep thought.

Melissa and Jamie looked at each other, knowing that something was definitely brewing up in that head of Lily's. They looked over to Cheryl for reassurance but to their slight dismay, Cheryl was already asleep in the velvety red couch.

Lily spotted that too, and murmured to herself about Cheryl not managing a strict diet and sleeping all the time.

After that, both Melissa and Jamie felt rather uncomfortable looking at Lily and not doing anything but talking. Hence, they finally decided to take out their Charms and Transfiguration homework and complete them. 

The next hour passed peacefully. The only sounds in the room were the soft snores of Cheryl and the occasional scratching and tugging of scalp and hair by Lily when she couldn't understand something she was seeing or reading. 

Lily bit the end of her pencil as she struggled to understand the newest concept of Potions. Without knowing or realizing it, she had fallen asleep with the pencil still in her mouth. It had almost become a habit for her to sleep like that, in an elbows propped on the thick maroon rug, pencil in mouth and head in hands position. However, Lily had of course been very careful about this little annoying habit of hers.

Suddenly, there was a rather loud knock on the wooden door. Lily's eyes immediately snapped open, and they were back to a piercing yet at the same time soothing green, rather than the misty green she always has when she is about to fall asleep.

She cleared her throat softly and said in a loud, clear voice, "Who is it outside?"

"A message from the Headmaster himself, summoning Lily Evans to his office immediately!" replied a booming voice.

Melissa raised her head and also rubbed her eyes of sleep and amazement as she saw Lily go through the daily routinely transformation in a matter of seconds once more and pull her hair into a tight ponytail before opening the door and smiling at the handsome messenger, who looked rather surprised.   

Lily rushed to the Headmaster's office, and checked through her attire from shirt to skirt once more before saying the password to make the stone gargoyle in front of the office budge and give way to an open door.

"Ah!" the Headmaster, Professor Dumbledore, smiled as he saw Lily Evans walk into his office. The corners of his mouth twitched to form a bigger grin as he looked Lily over once more, carefully.

"So, Miss Evans, how is it being Head Girl?" Dumbledore asked kindly.

"Oh! Simply superb!" Lily smiled broadly.

"Very good. Now, I'm sure you have heard of the rumors in school?"

Lily frowned as she recalled what was it that Cheryl was rambling about that early afternoon.

"Is it… about the transfer students?" she asked uncertainly.

"Ah! I believe so." Lily smiled once more; Dumbledore seemed to have a way of saying "yes" or "no" in a different way.

"Well-" Dumbledore continued. "-actually, these rumors are true. Four transfer students from Durmstrang will be coming over to Hogwarts in a matter of days. However, they will be arriving at different times. One of them will be here before the other three. And I hope you can show him around."

Lily nodded, while pondering why the Head Boy couldn't see to the minor task. After all, she had tests to prepare for. Dumbledore seemed to know what she was thinking about for he explained that the Head Boy, Gary Sondergaard, was quite seriously injured during a fall due to the moving staircases and would be resting in the Hospital Wing for a few months to come. 

Lily's face flushed as she wondered if Dumbledore had the power to read people's minds. Dumbledore smiled at her flush and told her that the student would be coming to Hogwarts two days from today and told her to get prepared as he would probably be sorted into Gryffindor.

Lily stopped herself from wondering how Dumbledore could know about the student's house without even meeting or knowing him. 

She quickly dismissed herself and walked briskly out of the office, eager to get on with the preparations and catch up on the homework she didn't complete, only to meet her Charms teacher, Professor Drude, on her way out. 

She acknowledged the professor politely and walked out of the room, leaving the Professor to stare at her retreating shadow, unable to believe what she saw, and Dumbledore chuckling softly at the amusing sight that greeted the Professor, for it had amazed him as well.

Lily was barefooted.

James Harold Potter sat in the lush red and gold train seats of the single carriage and smiled at the sight that greeted him. The sun was setting and it gave out a most beautiful fiery red. Even though it seemed to disappear slowly behind the high mountains and green peaks, it never seemed to lose its attractiveness and vibrancy. 

He wished he could get out of the carriage and the luxury of it and roll in the green soft grass, without any worries. 

Right now, he was worried that he couldn't get used to the new environment that was going to welcome him with open arms, or so his parents had assured him. He only regretted that his other three friends weren't with him, joking amiably with him. They still had some problems to settle over at his old school, Durmstrang, and their families.

Even though all of them were rich, they sometimes had problems with adjusting to the new surroundings and financial or family problems.

James settled down into his comfy seat and started to doze off. _One more day… and that was his last coherent thought before he fell into a deep sleep._


	2. Indecent

Lily stood in front of the mirror and smiled satisfactorily at her own reflection. She had combed her red hair neatly such that not one strand of hair was out of place; she ironed out her best shirt and skirt and swore that if any one should touch it, their necks would get wrenched. The only thing that wasn't perfect was that she had her favorite tie in the wash, and that it wasn't dry yet.

"Ah! Perfect!" the mirror smiled kindly.

"Thank you."

Then she set off to meet Dumbledore who will be accompanying her to the 9¾ station, as he was worried that she would not recognize James.

The two of them waited at the station and Dumbledore noticed Lily fidgeting with the hem on her shirt. He smiled and waved his wand.

The hem was immediately out, instead of the usual tuck-in style.

Lily looked surprised and asked Dumbledore if that would be appropriate. The twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes told her so.

Just then, as Lily bent down to inspect the hem of her green shirt, a red and gold carriage arrived. Lily was so absorbed in her inspecting of the hem and her fingernails that she didn't notice it coming.

James looked down through his glasses and saw a tall figure with silvery hair and beard that reached down to his waist and smiled, for he was sure that that was Professor Dumbledore he was seeing. His parents had described the appearance of the Headmaster of Hogwarts to James in detail and there wasn't anything more distinguished than that long silvery mane of his. 

However, as he looked more closely, he saw another figure standing beside Professor Dumbledore. He couldn't see the figure's face as she seemed to be looking down at something. James was sure, though, that the figure was a girl as it had a figure of a girl's. All curved in the right places.

It didn't hurt to add to himself a few other mental notes: she had long hair and was wearing a skirt.

James was amazed at the color of the girl's hair, though. It was fiery red and under the sun, it seemed to compete with the sun for its vibrancy and color. And even though her hair was tied back neatly, he could see it to be really wavy. He couldn't help wondering what it would look like if it was to be set free of the band holding it together.

Lily felt someone staring at the back of her head and immediately reminded herself of her position and role. She was waiting for someone really important. What was she doing, inspecting her nails or shirt like that? 

As she looked up slowly, she saw a pair of blue eyes staring back at her green. She cocked her head slowly as she took in the profile of the boy who was looking at her and that she was, no doubt, looking back.

He was tall, Lily could see, even though he was sitting down, for his waist could be seen at the edge of the window, which meant that his legs were rather long.

He had jet-black hair that resembled that of a crow's luscious black feathers. He wore glasses, but that didn't leave any blemish on his otherwise perfect face. 

Lily was surprised to realize that this boy was special from the other boys in Hogwarts. 

He seemed to have no flaw.

James felt a sharp intake of breath, coming from himself. As the red-haired figure looked up, he saw that she was a stunning beauty.

She had eyes that of an ocean during the rising of the sun – beautifully green.

Her face was perfectly sketched, like the porcelain models his sister always does. Though this one was obviously more pretty and wonderful than the lopsided bits of clay stuck together.

She had a rather sharp jaw and her full mouth showing natural redness.

Her chin was high and had the dignity and pride that didn't seem to lose out to that of princess's or queen's he has seen before. 

She was flawless.

James didn't really know how he managed to get out of the carriage without stumbling once. He seemed to be in a daze when he greeted Professor Dumbledore and Dumbledore knew the exact reason why he was so lost.

Dumbledore smiled as he took in the shocked look of Lily Evans.

"Miss Evans. This is your transfer student, Mister James Harold Potter."

James and Lily remained silent, still overcoming their initial shock. Dumbledore chuckled inwardly as he saw the sight presented before him. _Ah… they would be such a pair…_ he thought to himself, resisting a grin, as he thought of the reaction of the students in his school when James arrived.

He was a brilliant student and Dumbledore knew his parents a great deal. He was a bit disappointed when James's parents did not put James into Hogwarts. They explained that it was because the work James's father was doing and it would be inconvenient and too far for James to return home during the holidays. Dumbledore understood.

Now that James's father had switched jobs due to major adjustments, James could go to Hogwarts, where, Dumbledore truly feels, is where James really belongs. Even though it is a bit late, seeing the pair in front of him left Dumbledore no doubts that this year would indeed be an interesting one.

As Lily and James stepped into the Great Hall, they were greeted by gasps and wows of amazement as they passed by between the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor tables, to be seated at the very end of the Gryffindor table. 

James gave a small and rather embarrassed smile as he looked all around him at all the strange faces smiling back.

However, he did notice something else. Most of the smiling faces belonged to girls.

Lily looked around and sensed James's confusion and puzzlement. 

She smiled at James and whispered to him, "I think the guys are rather jealous of you."

James's face flushed as she leaned in close to him and as he smelled the rose fragrance of her whole body. His face flushed further when he heard what she had whispered to him.

Looking at her smiling face, he couldn't help but grin back, showing a set of perfectly straight teeth.

Lily saw the gleam in her friends' eyes out of the corner of her eye and quickly sat back. She sure did not want to face any questions when she got back to their dormitory room.

Dumbledore was quickly introducing the arrival of the new transfer student. Everyone ended up clapping when he had finished and James's face was bright red by the end of it all.

Lily shook her head in amazement as she saw how the boy had blushed. She never thought anybody, especially a boy, could possibly blush so much.

Dinner quickly passed and although James didn't eat much, he got full by just looking at the faces around him. By the end of dinner, he knew that Lily had three of the other girls sitting around the both of them as friends. 

There was one girl that was slightly pudgy in size. James quickly learnt that her name was Cheryl McNiece. She had blue eyes and had rather stringy blond hair. But she was rather nice to James, other than the fact that sometimes she was asking him so many questions that he felt that he couldn't breathe.

There was another girl that was another sensual beauty, although her beauty was really nothing compared to Lily's. He looked at her and suddenly had a feeling that his friend would look perfect with her. He wondered why. Jamie Kincaid had unique violet, or rather, amethyst, eyes that seemed to reassure every little uncertainty people had. Her hair was raven blue and that was another specialty that James felt hard not to notice. After all, not many people had that hair color.

James decided that Lily and Jamie had the most unique looks in the whole of Hogwarts, even though he hadn't seen half of the school. He was just puzzled. Wasn't Jamie a guy's name?

James felt that Jamie had a lot in common with the last girl, rather than with Cheryl. Her name was Melissa Corwell. She was also quite pretty. She had auburn hair and brown eyes resembling the color of hot chocolate and warmness of butter-beer in winter. 

Somehow, he felt that Jamie and Lily knew each other through Melissa and for some strange reason, he was glad for that union in friendship between the two girls.

After dinner, Lily brought James back to the boys' dormitory and was quite embarrassed at the fact that she was in it for she had never set foot in one before. It was somewhat against the rules and Lily felt it most indecent. Most of the pupils were still in the Great Hall; she and James had gone up first, by James's eager request to see his room. 

He gave a soft smile and closed his blue eyes as he took in the peace and tranquility of it all.

"It wouldn't be so peaceful when the bunch of boys come in."

That simple statement caused his eyes to snap open. He looked at Lily and can't help thinking that she had the ability to read minds.

Lily didn't understand why he was so shocked and decided to let it pass. She just wanted to get the instructions over and done with. She didn't want to spend any more time in this particular room. It was too indecent.

She banished all thoughts and tried to concentrate on the instructions to be told to the handsome young boy standing in front of her. 

She didn't realize she was blurting out her instruction until James put a gentle and long finger under her chin. She swallowed hard and forced herself to look up into his piercing blue eyes. 

"Why are you speaking so fast?" James laughed softly at her embarrassment.

Lily shook her head and regained her composure as quickly as she had lost it. She took in slow and careful breaths as she smiled and repeated her instructions clearly and slowly this time.

"Now…" her sentence trailed off as she approached a particular bed. "… this is your bed." She walked on and informed him that the adjacent beds beside his belonged to his other three friends who would be coming the next day.

She felt herself shaking her head in dismay as she saw the disarray of clothes on the floor. She had no doubt that boys were always that sloppy.

"Your trunks will all be arriving in a few minutes… I ARGH!" she let out a soft cry as she closed her eyes and braced herself for the fall about to come. 

It didn't come. Not at all. James had supported her back with his palms and he felt that she was no more heavier than a feather. 

"Whoa. You scared me," he whispered softly in her ear.

She quickly stood up and pulled her skirt, which was now above her knees, into place.

"Ah… thanks," she muttered her "thank you"; she wasn't sure if he had heard her.

The "no problem" reply coming from him told her that he had indeed heard her.

James suddenly reached out and Lily was about to take an instinctive step back as he tucked one strand of her red hair behind her ear, tickling her slightly. She would have laughed if the feeling wasn't so enticing at the moment.

She blushed and cursed herself for teasing James about his blush inwardly earlier. She was sure this was retribution.

James took another step forward, towards her and Lily felt her knees buckle as his blue eyes were fixated on her face.

She was about to say something more sensible and quit her mouth from gaping when she suddenly realized that the two of them were indecently close to each other. She could feel James's warm breath forced herself to look at anywhere but his eyes. They made her feel lost, something she had never felt before.

Then, she found out that by looking at his muscular chest, it wasn't really helping the situation.

His arms then came around her waist and James heard her give a sharp intake of breath. He then loosened his grip on her slender waist, for he feared that he was hurting her.

Just then, the door of the dormitory room and James immediately felt a shove on his chest. Lily had placed both palms on his chest, ignored her heart pumping at an accelerating rate and tried her best to push James away.

Her face was flushed when she saw who was it that opened the door. It was just a house-elf which had brought James's trunks in from the carriage.

The house-elf, surprisingly, did not seem to notice the both of them as it left the room as hurriedly as it put the trunks down, leaving the both of them alone once again. 

James turned his attention back to Lily once again, only to find that she had disappeared. Right under his nose.

He made a swift turn as he saw her run out of the dormitory and frowned as he watched the heavy door slam shut.

__

She sure can run.

__


	3. Liar

That night, James tossed and turned in his bed, unable to sleep. He was fascinated by this Lily Evans and couldn't understand why he had lost his self-control previously. It had never happened before with any girls. James had never lost control. 

For the first time in his life, he believed in the saying "love at first sight".

Lily laid down on her tummy, face-down, and wondered about the incident that happened previously. She kept telling herself that it was just an accident, that James just wasn't sure of his new surroundings. Then she reminded herself that he was from a school that had both boys and girls, too. 

She couldn't understand the way she was feeling. So many boys have sent love letters her way and some had even gone down on their knees to give her flowers to make her accept him. She never accepted anybody, except one. but she would never let her thoughts run that way once again.

This kind of feeling was new to her, something strange and Lily hated dealing with strange encounters. She always had a thinking of things always having explanations to them. This 'accident' crashed her concept.

Part of her wanted to believe that it was just an accident. After all, if he was just new to the school and if this wasn't an accident, by any chance, then James Potter would be classified as a playboy in her eyes. Somehow, she didn't want him to be like that. She expected and knew better.

Another part of her lurked behind her mind and it desired that it wasn't an accident, but the act was actually done on purpose. She knew she felt rather indecent, but she wondered how it would be like for his soft yielding lips to touch hers.

Lily bit her pillow in frustration. How she hated him for making her feel this confused and lost. How she loved him for making her feel something new.

The next day, Lily, by orders of Dumbledore, had to show James around, despite her weak protests that she was sick. She proposed that her friends could take him around, but Dumbledore could see through her like glass, and had insisted that she wasn't sick. 

Lily showed him around Hogwarts, but midway through the 'tour', she couldn't help but wonder if she could ever finish showing him the whole school.

First of all, Hogwarts was a huge school. Secondly, for every five minutes of the 'tour', she had both girls and boys tagging after James and her.

Girls, she could understand. With James Potter's good looks, no one could really blame them. But boys? Lily really couldn't wrap her finger around that matter.

James felt irritation slowly creep up his back. He thought that this must be some welcoming by the students, but really, all he wanted was some quiet time alone with Lily Evans. Is that too much to ask for?

Boys, he could understand. With Lily Evans's, the Head Girl's, good looks, James really couldn't believe the boys for tagging along after them. They would want to keep an eye on her, to make sure that she is taken away by him.

Girls, he could understand, too. In the past, in his old school, the girls stuck to him like honey. He used to shrug them off, just like now.

The both of them tried their very best to ignore the ongoing chattering by the girls and the occasional swearing by the boys behind them. Lily resisted every urge to roll her eyes at such immaturity.

Lily continued to move on and introduced to James the different classrooms and purposes. James had to strain his ears to hear her voice over all the chatter. 

Lily kept on talking monotonously, not really caring whether James heard what she was saying or not. After all, he would get used to the school sooner or later. 

When they reached the Quidditch Pitch, the Slytherins were practicing their Quiddich and Kye Bradford looked good on the field, with his new broomstick.

James couldn't take it any more. He could no longer hear what Lily was talking about. And now, over the loud shouts in the Quidditch Pitch by the players wearing silver and green, James felt himself hovering over the edge of insanity.

"QUIET!" he bellowed. He heaved heavy breaths and saw Lily toss him a weird glance at the corner of his eye. It was so quiet now that one could hear a bird's heartbeat.

Then, James heard one of the boys hovering above with his broomstick fly down and swear loudly.

The girls and boys behind them slowly went out of the pitch and back to where they came from, careful not to make any sound. They were afraid to hear any more roars made by James.

James looked at the boy who swore loudly. He could see, even from quite a far distance, that that boy was quite handsome.

His hair looked like a blonde and brunette had come together and came up with a better color.

His eyes were gray, which was now full of midnight blue flecks. The gray shirt he was wearing seemed to bring the color of his eyes out more.

He turned, saw Lily, and smiled gently at her. Lily, in turn, blushed. James raised his eyebrows. Was it this guy who swore just now, and most importantly, was there something between him and Lily? 

The boy turned back to James and yelled at him. "What the hell are you doing, shouting at the top of your lungs in the pitch?" 

"And what the hell are _you_ doing, shouting at the top of _your_ lungs in the pitch?" James retorted, without any doubt of dislike in his voice.

"You're breaking our concentration, or are you too thick to know it?" the boy's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"If I'm thick then you must be-" 

"Please!" Lily interjected. "Kye, please, go back to your game, all right? I apologize on his behalf."

Kye seemed to be thinking Lily's suggestions over. He obviously did not want to upset Lily further. She looked on the verge of tears, although he had never heard or seen her crying over anything before.

After a long moment, he finally said, "All right.", leaving Lily to heave a sigh of relief. She knew how violent things could get if they got out of hand.

James felt furious. Why the hell did she apologize _on his behalf_? He didn't need anyone to apologize for him, nor did he think that that jerk standing in front of him needed an apology from anyone. 

He gave a louder cry of outrage when he saw that Kye boy plant a soft kiss on Lily's cheeks. He was about to punch the person when Kye flew off on his broomstick with Lily sitting behind him. 

James felt his jaw stiffen. He always felt it when he was about to punch someone. Seeing that Lily did not hold on to Kye in any way did NOT make him feel better. His hate and anger wasn't all directed at Lily, though he admitted that he was bitter at the fact that this boy with the stupidest hair color he had ever seen beat him in winning girls over. From head to toe, that dumb and idiotic Kye looked like a genuine playboy. What could Lily see in such a guy? 

Then again, he only knew Lily for a day. He can't believe the anger he felt.

Lily was about to burst out. With anger. Her arms held on to the end of the broomstick as she flew in the air with Kye. She refused to touch any one of them. How could they shout at each other like that? What if any one else, especially one of the teachers or even the Headmaster, saw this situation? They would think that she was the cause of all trouble. And what if a big fight broke out, she might even lose her position of Head Girl! She couldn't live with that ugly fact.

And here she thought that James was decent and that Kye was nice. It seemed to her now that the both were them were decent and nice only to her. That was so hypocritical.

However, one not so tiny part of her reminded herself that she wasn't her true self in school, too. She sighed at the thought of this.

Kye couldn't hear the sigh over all the cat-callings by his team mates. He loved the attention, but still wondered why Lily still refused to hold on to his waist or something. She could fall off or something. Kye certainly didn't want that. He could get into a lot of trouble, and so could she.

After a while, Lily came down from the broomstick and bid Kye good bye before leaving the pitch. She couldn't trust herself with either of the two barbarians any more. She was sure she could kill either.

She was walking though a dark throughway when she met James. She didn't actually see James. Maybe it was too dark, or maybe she was just too furious to notice anyone pass her by. 

James held onto her slender wrists forcefully. Lily took out her wand and said, "Lumos", casting a weak shadow over James's angry jaw-line.

She tried to wriggle her hands free of his grasp, but he was just too strong for her. She felt every nerve inside her body commanding her to cast a full body binding spell on him, but she resisted. She could get into deep shit for that impulsive action. Plus, both her hands were held tightly, including her wand arm.

"Let go," Lily whispered dangerously.

James was slightly surprised to sense this new tone in her. But contrarily, he tightened his grasp on her wrists, refusing to let go. 

He could see Lily staring at him and for a moment, he thought that he saw flames dancing around in her emerald eyes. Then he thought that he must be imagining. He didn't think that Lily had anger stored in her. She seemed like such a docile and gentle swan.

"Let go," she repeated softly.

"No." James hardened his heart. He was an impatient person. He wanted answers to his questions and he would get them. He wouldn't let her run away from him once again. He never could run worth a damn and he knew it well himself.

The few torturous moments passed and James finally asked her what her relationship was with that Kye.

"That, isn't any of your business, is it?" The matter-of-fact answer caught him off guard.

James tightened his hold once more. "Tell me," he insisted urgently.

"There is nothing going on between the two of us." 

"Liar." James felt furious that Lily could lie to him without even blinking.

"If you don't believe me, then I suggest you let me go, for all the answers I give you would be lies like them." Lily couldn't ignore the lump in her throat. No one called her a liar. No one… except…

James heard her voice swagger a bit and thought that maybe he was going too far. He didn't want her to cry. He tried to look further and deeper into her seemingly expressionless eyes, but he found nothing. No tears, no anger, nothing. He felt lost. 

He didn't know what else to know, so he just let go.

Lily ran worth her damn. 

That night, at dinner, Dumbledore brought in three more boys. The three boys that Lily had totally forgot over today's trauma. 

They now sat around her and she was positively glad that they left no space for James to sit beside her. She couldn't and wouldn't face him so soon. Her heart still ached over the previous accusation.

She learnt that their names were Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew. 

She found that Peter Pettigrew was the weirdest of them all. He kept quiet with sudden outbursts of laughter due to the jokes the other tall bloke with black hair was making.

He was also the shortest. Lily realized that when all the students stood up to propose a toast to the three new students to welcome them. She saw that all the other three of them, James, Sirius and Remus, were all taller than her by at least a head. The top of her head was only at their shoulders and she was already considered one of the tallest girls in the entire school. Only Peter was shorter than her. 

His mousy face seemed to scrunch up in either disgust or laughter all the time and Lily found that fact amusing.

Sirius Black had the most dashing good looks among all of them, actually. He had jet-black hair too, just like James, and his eyes were brown. However, his hair was rather long and was tied back in a neat ponytail, making him handsome in a rugged sort of way. Lily wondered how his old school had allowed such hair styles. Little did she know that he had gotten into a lot of trouble and had simply refused to cut his hair. 

There was a play-boyish aura around him and he was also very muscular. His muscles were even more prominent against the rather tight fitting black shirt of his. 

The last boy was also very cute and handsome. He had sandy colored hair, not really the typical blonde, and his eyes were also blue, but his was sky or silky blue, compared to James's right now. 

Lily ate her dinner quietly and laughed politely at the ironical jokes that Sirius made throughout dinner. She was eager to get back to her own dorm room. For once, she hated the noise surrounding and attention involving her. For once, she wanted peace and quiet, just to think things over.

If she wasn't too eager, she might have noticed that Remus kept looking over at Jamie and that Melissa kept looking over at Sirius. 

She might have noticed that all the girls in Hogwarts were more than fascinated by the four new boys, or rather, legendary characters, that had come to their school.

She might also have noticed that James was staring guiltily at her wrists, which had a tinge of blue-black to it.

James felt about as low a person could ever get, if possible, even lower. He couldn't believe the brute strength he had exerted when questioning her. She was such a fragile porcelain doll to him that he was fearful of breaking her. 

He also can't believe that she didn't utter a word of protest when he had grabbed her wrists so roughly. She could've just said that it hurt and James would have let go of her immediately, even though he was angry and fuming.

That, really defeated the motion that she was fragile. James somehow suspected that she wasn't all that she seemed, but he couldn't explain why and how he arrived to that conclusion.

Lily finished her dinner and quickly dismissed herself from the group of eight. Jamie, first to sense something wrong with Lily as usual, followed her back to their room. Remus's eyes followed Jamie and found them fixated on the slow and unconscious swaying of her hips.

Sirius chuckled and poked Remus in the ribs, bringing him back to Earth. 

"Where were you? Somewhere in space?" Sirius teased.

Remus glared at Sirius for causing him such embarrassment in front of Lily's and Jamie's two other friends. However, as he noticed the other girl, Melissa, carefully for the first time, he saw that she kept glancing over at Sirius, even when Sirius wasn't talking.

The corners of Remus's lips twitched. 

Back in their dorm room, Jamie sat down on Lily's bed and looked at Lily's messy red hair. Lily looked up at her with strangely misty eyes. Jamie wasn't sure if she was tearing or just tired.

"What's wrong?" Jamie asked gently.

"Nothing." 

That didn't fool Jamie, though.

"Really?" 

Lily nodded, rather to herself than to Jamie. "Why would you think so?"

"Oh… the usual… you not changing into your 'normal' nerd self… keeping quiet when you're usually vibrant with anger or sarcasm…" Jamie smiled.

Lily smiled reluctantly. 

"Just thinking," she replied.

Jamie then knew what had happened. Every time Lily said she was 'just thinking', she was sure to be thinking about what happened in the past. 

She placed an arm around Lily's slumped shoulders to comfort her.

"Don't think too much now, all right?"

Lily nodded again.

Just as Jamie was about to leave Lily's bed chamber, she said teasingly to Lily, "And don't pout. It's bad for your image," to lighten the serious mood.

Lily smiled a genuine smiled at Jamie and was glad that she had friends like her.

She automatically locked her door and in another automatic gesture, lied down in her soft bed and tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

It was another daily routine for her.


	4. Unbreakable

****

Disclaimer

I do not own any of the characters mentioned below. I have used one of Jewel's songs, "Break Me". Please read and review NICELY. Thank you.

****

Pretense 

"I say, Moony-" Sirius started, as he sat beside Remus on his bed. 

"-is it me? Or is James acting weird?"

They both looked over the drawn curtains of James's four-poster bed. 

Remus nodded. "It isn't you. He _is_ acting weird."

Sirius smiled strangely. "Bet it has something to do with that red-haired beauty escorting us."

Remus raised his eyebrows. "You think?"

Sirius's smile got bigger. "I _know_."

Remus shrugged and was about to go back to his bed to rest when Sirius pulled him down on his bed again.

"Hold on, lover boy," Sirius winked, a wicked gleam in his chocolate brown eyes.

"Lover boy?" Remus repeated in disbelief.

"Yeah. What's up with that violet-eyes?"

Remus frowned. He knew Sirius would be on his case all night and all week and all year and all… He groaned inwardly.

"Jamie?" he whispered.

"Yeah. Jamie Kincaid, if I'm not wrong."

"You're not wrong." Remus sighed.

"Don't mind me asking, but isn't that a guy's name?" 

Remus glared at him.

The next few days were rather hectic for all of them. They had surprise tests every day of the week that the element of surprise was already negligible.

Everyone was rushing about here and there, so James, Sirius, Remus and Peter, which are also known as the four Marauders, never got to see much of Lily, Melissa, Jamie and Cheryl. 

James couldn't find a chance to apologize to Lily. Remus couldn't see his violet-eyes anywhere. Sirius had his hands full of girls, no doubt. Peter couldn't care less.

All four Marauders sat down in the Gryffindor Common Room that evening. Remus and James decided to skip dinner and the other two Marauders followed suit. 

"Why didn't you go for dinner?" Sirius grumbled.

James continued staring at the flickering fiery red flames of the fire at the hearth. Remus started doodling on a piece of parchment with his feather quill and didn't hear Sirius.

Sirius resisted yelling out loud. 

"Can't anyone hear me?" he half-shouted.

James finally looked up at Sirius and cocked his head in puzzlement, as if Sirius had gone mad.

Sirius grabbed tufts of his black hair, now loose from the neat ponytail, and tugged at them, as if he couldn't believe that he had friends like them.

He turned his attention towards Remus, thinking that at least Remus would have more sense than James. James was getting to be weirder and weirder by the day.

"Hey, Remus!" he said in a cheerful tone. So cheerful that none of the three in the room believed that he was truly happy.

Remus glanced up at Sirius half-heartedly and smiled lazily. Almost dreamily. Then he turned back to his parchment.

Sirius couldn't believe what he was seeing. Two of his best and most sensible friends were positively turning into some weird freaks! 

Being impulsive, he snatched Remus's parchment right under his nose. Remus yelled out loud and tried grabbing it back. Sirius was a bit taller than him, and making use of that advantage, he held the parchment beyond Remus's reach.

Remus gave up and sat on the red and gold woolen rug, pouting sulkily, and listened to Sirius laughing his head off.

"Remus and Jamie? All over the parchment?" Sirius howled.

"Stop it," Peter mumbled. "You sound like him," he said as he jerked his head towards Remus.

"I DO NOT sound like that!" Remus half-protested, half-grumbled.

James sighed. He stared blankly at the Transfiguration book in front of him. It was flipped open, no doubt, but the words seemed to be just dancing around in James's head. It went in one ear, and came out from the other. 

He saw no point in reading it over and over again when it didn't help at all. Besides, he had already covered that the previous year, in Durmstrang. Everything that was to be tested in the tests, James had already learnt them. 

These few days, every time he saw that Kye strutting along the corridor, he couldn't help but scowl at him and in return get either a scowl or a glare back. Sirius, always noticing this not so little action, tried asking James about it, but James was always unwilling to answer.

He always told the other three Marauders about almost everything. But this time, he didn't want to let them know that he grabbed girls by the wrists and made them black and blue. No way would he let them know. 

Especially not Remus. Remus hated guys who hit girls. Absolutely loathed them. He thinks that hell would be far too easy on them.

James slammed the heavy book shut and walked back to his bed. He closed the curtains and lied down, face-down, on his tummy.

These nights, not one thought wasn't dedicated to Lily Evans. And every night, his feelings always got mixed up at some intersection point. 

At that particular point, he would feel angry and mad at Lily for making him feel this way. Then he would realize that what he was feeling or going through wasn't really Lily's fault. In fact, not at all. He just couldn't help himself when it comes to this red-haired, green-eyed beauty.

Then, he would punch his pillow, pretending that it was that Kye. He hated his hair color. For many times a day and night, he would tell himself that his hair had the worst color he had ever seen in his whole life. After this somewhat comforting thought about Kye's hair, James's hate would suddenly direct itself onto himself.

He would wonder why his hair color wasn't as special as Kye's or why his eye color was so damn common. Then he would wonder why his body wasn't so muscular as Kye's, even though he knew deep inside that he would beat Kye in any Quidditch match at any time. 

Then… one night, he finally got it. He finally got the satisfactory answer he was looking for.

The tests flew by as quickly as they had come. 

Sirius, for once in his life, was worried about his results. He remembered his father's last words as he boarded the train to Hogwarts. 

"You do something wrong, and you won't be coming back home for a long time."

Sirius had shrugged it off, but now facing new stress and friends that are different in temperament from the past, he suddenly felt like going back home any time. He suddenly felt that his sister was the best irritating sister in the world.

Remus couldn't care less about his results. He knew that he had tried his best, even though he knew himself that most of the time, he had used half of his parchments writing Jamie's name.

No doubt. He was in it deep.

The results came out in lists pasted on notice-boards. 

Lily walked towards the lists and ignored the fervent mumbling that passed her by. She looked for the seventh grade's list and saw it. Her eyes automatically darted up towards the number one spot and automatically expected herself to be top.

She gasped in disbelief.

James was top. James Harold Potter.

Sirius laughed out loud and shook his head as he downed another cup of butter-beer.

"You're first again, James," he grinned. 

"You're drunk again, Sirius," he frowned.

Sirius looked down at the cup of butter-beer in his hands, as if just realizing that he was holding it, and laughed.

"Hell, it's good." He retorted.

James rolled his eyes and looked around the pub situated in Diagon Alley.

He still couldn't find Lily. He was frustrated, angry, and desperate for a chance to apologize to her. How can he ever do that if Lily wouldn't even see him? it has been at least a week or two, but it felt like months to James, even years.

He felt himself getting old as the time flew by and he still hadn't apologized to Lily. He hadn't said the words that meant the most to him, and he hoped, to Lily as well.

Lily looked at herself in the mirror and saw nothing but two stupid looking ponytails and black rimmed glasses that seemed to make her whole face sink in. She also saw a failure.

How could she? How could she have lost to James? She hated him. He had been in Hogwarts for only a month or two and now, he's top of the seventh grade's list and the school's discussion list.

Today, everyone was out at Hogsmeade, celebrating the end of the tests. She had stayed in her room and went through all her scripts, checking her mistakes.

She had only finished checking her Transfiguration paper when she sighed in frustration and decided to stop checking the last paper, the Charms paper.

It was no use. How could any one make a mistake in grading the papers? No one could, especially Hogwarts teachers. 

She started walking around her room, doing nothing, and thought about nothing. Looking out through the window, she saw red leaves falling from trees. 

It was fall. Lily always thought it magical that the magical world can be so completely different from the Muggle world, and yet, at the same time, so similar. 

There were still things like seasons, that never changed, even in the two different worlds.

Yet there were more things that changed. Lily shuddered at the mere thought of her past and turned away from the window.

She then decided that she couldn't just give up her last hope. She went through the Charms paper carefully and checked through all her mistakes.

Suddenly, she took in ragged breaths as she saw one question being unmarked. That question alone contained ten marks.

"Students, especially the seventh graders, there has been a mistake in the list. Due to a careless mistake, Lily Evans has been placed second. Now that we have corrected the mistake, I announce here that Miss Lily Evans is actually the top student in the entire seventh grade and Mister James Potter the second. Thank you."

Lily Evans smiled triumphantly as she looked around at all the clapping hands and smiling faces. She heard all the praising voices and turned to give James Potter a smirk when she saw James smiling at her. Genuinely. She had lived through enough to know when a smile is genuine or fake. 

James's eyes lit up and Lily stopped her smirk in time. She stared strangely at James and couldn't help wondering if he was mad.

Just then, James held out a hand to Lily. 

"Congratulations," he said in that husky voice of his.

Lily looked down at his outstretched hand and then, self-consciously, at her own wrists.

She simply looked up and smiled coldly. 

"Thank you."

James felt his heart wrench. Lily didn't even dare to take his hand! He had seen her look down at her own wrists and then she had given him that cold smile of hers. He never imagined that he would see it. Never.

Although he had only known her for a short time, he knew somehow that she was a passionate and kind girl. That there was no coldness or anything like that existing in her. 

He never imagined that he was wrong.

Lily went out of Hogwarts and onto the Quidditch Pitch, which was deserted. She pulled her gray robes closer to her body and settled down on a big pile of fallen leaves. The leaves rustled under her weight and she felt like giggling as she sunk deep and got embedded in the pile of leaves below her.

It was dark and way after lights out. The moon was half crescent shaped tonight. Lily raised the sleeves of her robes to see the time. Instead, she saw the dark silhouette of the fading bruises on her wrists. 

She sighed. Bruises always seemed to fade away slower for her. They always took about a week or two to fade away completely.

She thought back when James had grabbed hold of both her wrists and left such physical and emotional marks on her. She never felt those emotions for such a long time. She had always gone home, locked herself in her own room, came out for meals and stayed that way until the new school term started.

No one bothered, anyway.

Suddenly, Lily heard the faint rustling of leaves behind her. Behind her, not under her.

She fingered her wand in the pocket of her robes and got ready to defend herself.

She turned around swiftly and saw… no one.

No one, that is, except James.

__

She looks so pretty… James thought.

Lily's features were even more distinguished in the faint moonlight. For the first time, James saw that she didn't tie her hair back and bind it at the nape of her neck, as always. James thought right. Her hair looked wavier unbound. The red waves resembled the swash and backwash of the shores, except that the latter had foams and was blue. Hers was fiery red, just the way James likes it.

Her eyes intrigued him the most. It seemed to turn into different colors at all times, with different emotions of hers. Usually, it was piercing and it seemed to search the truth out of any one. Right now, though, it looked misty and glazed. But nonetheless, it looked attractive to James. He saw her pull her robes tighter around her curvy body and resisted the urge to just take her in his arms right then.

Lily looked at him briefly and turned her attention back to the moon. She tried to think about the legends about the sky that mystified her; she tried to ponder over the forever beautiful constellations; she tried to name them one by one. she couldn't do any of the three.

James sat down right beside her. She didn't want to sit on the wet ground, yet there was no space to move further away, so she stood up.

"I'm going back. Please don't stay up too late," she said coldly. Her cold tone sent shivers down James's back, but that didn't stop him from pulling her down onto his lap.

She let out an outraged cry and tried struggling out of his grab, but he was obviously too strong for her.

Lily gave up and sat up straighter instead.

"I hope that you don't try to grab me again the next time we meet."

James felt her stiffen in his arms, heard her voice and tried his best not to tear up.

"Are you afraid of me?" James whispered against her red hair.

"No," she continued, "I'm afraid of your hands."

James tried to get around to see if she was teasing her.

"Are you baiting me?"

"No." This time, there was no doubt about it. Her tone was firm and hard, and left no space for hesitation.

James felt her shiver and instinctively opened his coat and covered her with it. To his surprise, Lily did not attempt to stand up even though his arms now hung loose around her.

Lily sighed, and wondered whether it was a sigh of relief or contentment. She wished it were neither.

James felt that it was time to say the words that meant most to him at that moment. 

"Lily, I didn't mean to hit you. I would never," he shuddered at the violence he had attempted.

"You didn't hit me," Lily pointed out. For some strange reason, she suddenly felt that it wasn't James's fault.

"Well, your wrists are hurt because of me, aren't they?" his heart hurt at the thought of him hurting her.

"Yes, you did, and they still hurt." She was lying; they didn't hurt any more. She didn't know why she had said that.

James immediately held her wrists gently in his own hands and observed her bruises carefully. He gently squeezed her hands and surprised the both of them as he lifted them to plant a tender kiss on each one of them.

Lily gasped and turned around, her attention no longer fixed on the moon. It never was since James came.

One of his fingers tilted her chin to make her look at his gentle blue eyes. She recollected what happened the first night he had met her and what happened the next day. She suddenly got scared. She didn't realize she was struggling against his hold.

Until he said, "Please don't try to run away from me again." His voice was soft, yielding and pleading, all at the same time.

Lily's heart wrenched at the memory of those words. 

****

Flashback

"Please! Father! Don't hit me any more!" Lily sobbed as she tried to cover her puny body with her equally tiny hands.

"How dare you go and be a witch! You're ABNORMAL! You're a DISGRACE!" he continued scolding her hysterically, ignoring her pleas. 

"Please! Father!" she screamed as his horse whip found another place on her body.

"NO! Don't beg me! You have thrown our family's face and name into the gutters!"

Lily stopped her pleas but continued sobbing. She swerved out of the way from another of her father's deadly whip and started running. She didn't know where she was running to, but she didn't care either.

"Don't you DARE run away from me again!" her father had bellowed.

****

End Flashback

By the time the flashback ended, Lily's face was already streaked with tears. That scared the hell out of James.

He knew that he must be hurting her somehow and that he should let her go. Yet he couldn't find the courage and will to release his arms from her.

So he did the contrary thing. He held her tighter. 

"Hush," that was the best he could think of; he hoped that he could mask his own fear and confusion. He didn't want to hurt or scare her further.

"I'm sorry," Lily sobbed.

James shook his head.

"It's okay… everything will be all right now… I'm with you…" James soothed her as well as his own fears.

"I didn't mean to cry. I told myself then I wouldn't shed another tear for him again…" James didn't know what she was talking about and he wondered at the same time who was the 'he' she was referring to. But he couldn't bring himself to interrogate her now.

"It's all right…" 

Eventually, Lily's sobs subsided, and James thanked everyone alive and dead for it. It was amazing what her tears could do to him. No one's tears had affected him that much, not even from his past break-ups with other girls.

He felt lost and sad, for her and for himself. For once, there was no explanation for the things and emotions that were happening all at the same time.

Lily looked up at James and smoothed out the imaginary wrinkles on his white shirt. She saw the darker tear stains and touched them, too. 

"Sorry I stained your shirt."

James didn't even notice that his shirt was wet. He only noticed the smooth movements Lily was making over his shirt and on his chest. He was glad that she couldn't hear or feel his heartbeat, which speed was increasing at an accelerating rate. He was sure that she didn't even know that reaction she was causing in him.

James bent his head down and planted a soft and tender kiss on her full lips. There was passion and love mixed in the kiss. Lily gave passion; James possessed love. The two of them were perfect together.

She is pure. She will always be innocent. She used to be unbreakable. She used to be untouchable. 

Now, Lily knew that he had broken her somehow.

Now, James touched her beyond touch. He reached for her beyond reach. 

Now, she was his and he was hers. 

__

I will meet you in some place

Where the light lends itself to soft repose

I will let you undress me

But I warn you, I have thorns like any rose

And you could hurt me with your bare hands

You could hurt me using the sharp end of what you say

But I am lost to you now

There's no amount of reason to save me 

So break me

Take me

Just let me fill your arms again

Break me

I'll let you make me

Just let me fill your arms again

Feels like being underwater

Now that I've let go and lost control

Water kisses fill my mouth

Water fills my soul

So break me

Take me

Just let me fill your arms again

Break me 

I'll let you make me

Just let me fill your arms again

Kiss me once

Well, maybe twice

Oh, it never felt so nice

So break me 

Take me

Just let me fill your arms again

Break me 

I'll let you make me

Just let me fill your arms again

A/N: So how was it? Good? Bad? Please review! Thanks! Hmm… how about we strike a deal, just between the readers and the writer? How about 7 more reviews before I post the next chapter? *evil cackle* All right, then? =)


	5. Lilies and Tulips

The next day, Lily sent James a note, saying that she was sorry and that she had lost control of her own feelings. She hoped he didn't blame her.

James's heart ached at the note presented before him. With slight agitation, he sent the owl away with a flourish of his hand. Lost control of her own feelings indeed! James had thought that they belonged to each other. James had thought that she liked him just the same way he liked her. 

James had thought. He sat on his bed and yanked the red and gold curtains with such brute force that it was almost yanked out of its place.

He lied down, hands behind head, and thought about it for a long time. The longer he thought about it, the more his anger and irritation disappeared. After all, it wasn't really Lily's fault. He had come to her in the first place and offered her comfort at that moment. And he had never made his intentions clear. Although he had tried to sneak in a few kisses, she had almost never let him, with exception to last night. But even then, her mind was in a disarray and she wasn't in any condition to think clearly.

With that, he yanked the curtains open again, irritating the rest of the Gryffindors in the room. Gilbert Finnigan turned to give him a glare before returning to his assignment.

James ran out of the room and even forgot to close the door behind him. He had shouted 'sorry' over his shoulder and continued to run down the stairs. He was glad he couldn't see the dark glares that were passed around as he left.

Remus and Sirius looked at each other in amusement. They were bemused at the sight of James running about and yanking curtains. He was always so gentle and soft about things. He also took time to sort things out, unlike today. 

"What's with him?" Sirius remarked.

Remus shrugged, his thoughts returning back to Jamie. He really ought to either get rid of what he hoped was just an infatuation with her or to seriously tell Jamie about how he felt. And he had to decide. Before next week. 

James ran and found her in the greenhouse. She was somewhat observing the plants and herbs there and taking notes. She was probably studying, and didn't want to be disturbed, James thought. But he knew that he had to tell her, or his own state of mind would go well off center.

He surprised her by suddenly standing so close to her. She turned abruptly as she heard the shuffling of feet behind her. She expected to see Professor Mae behind her, not James, of all people. She was embarrassed by the fact that she had soaked his shirt and poured her confession about swearing never to cry for her father again. She had therefore sent him a note that very morning, for she found that she couldn't bring sleep to her.

James smiled at her flushed face. 

"Hi," he said sheepishly, seemingly shy all of a sudden.

Lily raised her eyebrows warily, then decided that he might have some trouble with his work in school, so he had come to ask her. She then relaxed her stance and smiled back, indicating her greeting.

When James had remained silent for a few more seconds, Lily prompted him.

"Was there something you wanted?" 

James shook his head fervently, then nodded it again. His confused manner amused Lily and she smiled quizzically at him. She must think I'm crazy, he thought dejectedly. 

Before he could open his mouth to say anything, Lily suddenly let out a gasp and started to pack her things into her cauldron. James watched in puzzlement as she continued stuffing her things hastily. Lily looked up for a brief moment and said in an equally brief manner, "I'm late."

James checked his own watch and frowned as he noticed that the next class would not start in the next ten minutes. A good ten minutes. He pointed that out to Lily. 

Lily stared at him for the longest time, then smiled at him, confusing him all the more. "I always set my watch ten minutes ahead of the actual time. That way, I get things done faster." 

James had to bite his lip from smiling. Then he realized what his mission was when he had decided to look for her all over Hogwarts. 

She was about to leave when James suddenly gripped her wrist and asked her to wait. Fear seized at Lily's heart. That was the exact spot he had grabbed the first time. She didn't want another bruise. 

James noticed the fear in her emerald eyes and started to let go, but he confirmed his request once more.

"Wait," he repeated in a soft tone, intended to show her that he would not hurt her in any way.

She looked up warily at him again, but she stopped in her tracks all the same. James heaved a sigh of relief and continued.

"You have been a great friends since I have come here…" then he stopped himself when he saw Lily nodding. This wasn't the way he planned it. Damn, but this girl could make him lose his concentration anytime. 

"What I mean is-" James corrected quickly. "-I would like the both of us to be… more than friends." There. He had said it. All in one go. Without even stammering. He would have felt pride arise in him if he didn't look up and see Lily's face.

Her expression was unreadable. For a moment, James was afraid that he didn't phrase his sentences well and that she didn't understand his meaning. Then he reminded himself that Lily was a smart student and that she would have figured it out. So he stopped himself from saying anything stupid and instead, tried to read the expression on her face.

"Lily?" he whispered, afraid to know what she would say. This was ridiculous. He never felt that way before. But then again, he had never confessed this way to any girl. The girls had always confessed to him one way or another. Lily was no ordinary girl and that was what James liked her for: the mystery.

But even now, the mystery was too much for him to take. Or rather, the suspense. He couldn't wait any more. He thought that one more minute alone with her without the both of them saying anything would make him choke on air. The irony of it.

Lily finally whispered, "I'm sorry. I'm late. We both are." Then she had left him all alone in the dust, in the greenhouse.

James felt his jaw drop open. Sorry? Was that all she could think of? Sorry because the both of them were late for class? Or sorry because she couldn't accept his love? He just wished and hoped against hope that it wasn't the case of the latter. He grabbed tufts of his black hair in frustration. What exactly did she mean? Sorry? That wasn't the answer he was looking for. What has she got to be sorry about? He's got everything to worry about. He sighed in frustration and stormed back to the Gryffindor common room, slamming the door behind him, deciding to skip the rest of the lessons in that day. He decided that he would just call in sick.

It was the worst choice he had ever made. Not the choice of telling Lily about how he felt, but the choice of calling in sick. Now he was stuck in the hospital ward, forcing huge lumps of medicine into his throat. He was even tempted once, to cast a Throat-Tightening spell on himself, so that he wouldn't be able to swallow any more of those horrid 'remedies'. They were blasphemies, rather, James thought bitterly.

Whoever it was that came to visit him, he snapped at them. Practically barked. Even the other three Marauders, who didn't find it surprising after they took in the array of different colored pills on the side table. Especially to the hordes of girls that had practically crawled to the hospital ward to just come 'visit' him. James snorted at that thought. Visit, indeed. It was more like torture than a nice visit. They had come around, almost leaving him no air to breathe, asking infuriating questions of theirs. Like, how was he and most of all, whether he had a girlfriend. Oh, how he wanted to snap at all of them and say that he had plenty of girlfriends all over the world and that even if he didn't have one in Hogwarts, he would never have one now, seeing their state. He didn't have girlfriends all over the world, 'tis be the truth. He just left them heartbroken after he left each place. They had come to him willingly, each offering a different thing. Mostly, they offered bodies. James had thought then that all that girls wanted was sex, and that they got their ways simply by offering sex services. Until he met Lily. She was so spirited, smart and beautiful, all at the same time. James never knew that such a person could exist. In his era. 

In his era, he had never felt rejected before. Until he met Lily. James sighed when he realized the pattern in his life and how he was repeating this life cycle of his.

James thought about nothing else for the two days in the ward. He realized that he was being too abrupt in his confession. He was too complacent by thinking that Lily would fall in his arms just as soon as he made his confession. The thought that Lily wasn't like other girls never occurred to him. But now it had. He had gone and made such a hasty decision to tell her of his feelings. Now he had to make an equally hasty decision to court her. Properly. He would properly bring her flowers and send her gifts. Not to mention lavish her with praises. Yes, he would do it. He would set all his pride aside and get down to the task of courting her rightfully, giving her the just feelings she should experience from his courting. He must make it all possible. He must make her his.

All thoughts like that were forgotten as he found her in the Quidditch Pitch in the late evening. He held the bouquet of lilies and tulips in his hand and nearly dropped it when he saw how beautiful and vulnerable she looked, just sitting there. 

James had trouble breathing. Hell, he couldn't breathe at all.

Her hair was still tied up in that ponytail of hers, and James yearned to just run forward and break the band holding the red tides so tightly. James couldn't see her eyes from that far distance, but he could see that she was staring into space at something invisible. It was that look that made her vulnerable and open. Her mouth was slightly open and James had a sudden, aching longing to tilt her chin and kiss her thoughts away. Her thoughts, as well as his. It was time to put his plan into action. He opened his mouth to call her name as he moved out of the dark shadows hiding him all this while when suddenly, her name was shouted out. Not by James.

By Kye. "Lily!" he had shouted, while running towards her, who was half-smiling now. James moved back swiftly into the dark shadows and watched, stunned, as Kye brought another bouquet of flowers from behind his back. Lily had looked surprised as he handed her the bouquet of roses and kissed her cheek gently. Kye then sat down _closely_ beside her and started talking to her.

James looked down in anguish and anger at his own bouquet of lilies and tulips. Compared to the other bouquet of beautiful red roses, he felt as though the bouquet of flowers he was now gripping so tightly had wilted and paled in comparison. 

He looked up and then saw Kye's gray eyes had darted forth. In his direction. He pointed at James to Lily. From their position, James wasn't sure if they could see him. In his panic, he dropped his bouquet of flowers and turned to start running. To his dismay, the tunnel was long and winding, and the both of them would definitely see him there in no time, if they started running towards him as well. 

So, instead of running, he turned into his Animagus form: the stag. He turned into it just into time, too, for the both of them had indeed started running towards the dark shadow Kye had seen. Lily looked around and saw nothing except a bouquet of flowers and a stag. A stag. Lily repeated that thought in her head once again, realizing how ridiculous it had sounded to her.

Kye frowned at the stag and stared at it suspiciously as he bent down to pick up the bouquet of flowers. Lily saw that the flowers were lilies and tulips. Her favorite flowers. She gasped in surprise and asked softly if Kye could let her have it. Kye raised his eyebrows in surprise, then after a moment's hesitation and staring at the stag, he finally handed it to Lily, to James's utmost relief. Who knows what Kye might do to them. 

Then, taking advantage, Kye bent down and kissed Lily's other cheek. Lily smiled gently and asked Kye to go back to his chambers as it was late. Kye offered to escort her back to her own dorm room, but she had refused. She said she needed some time alone. Kye had agreed reluctantly and bent down to kiss her again when she ducked nicely and said goodbye before walking back to the Quidditch Pitch, with the damned stag following her. 

James would have sniggered if he wasn't a stag now. The look on Kye's face was worth millions. He staggered behind Lily, tracing her footsteps gingerly. Lily sat down at the benches and tossed a discreet glance to check if Kye was still there. He wasn't, and Lily thanked God for that. She looked down at the two bouquets in both her hands, one with the roses, and the other with lilies and tulips. She then glanced at the stag questioningly, as if to ask how it got there, with the bouquet.

She slowly set the bouquet of roses down. "They're nice," she whispered softly. "But I prefer the other one," she remarked gently as James's heart warmed. He wondered if it was because she preferred his bouquet to Kye's or simply because she smiled that heart-stopping smile of hers. Her eyes had turned misty as she looked down at the stag and nuzzled its head affectionately. James thought he might swoon from her touch. 

Lily watched as the stag stepped on the bouquet of roses with a sort of vehemence and smiled amusingly, for if she didn't know better, she would have thought that the stag had something against the person who gave the bouquet. She placed a gentle hand on one of the stag's legs and made it stop stomping on those flowers.

"Don't." she pleaded softly. "Kye would be mad at the sight of this." Then she shook her head sadly. The stag went to her open arms and she enveloped the stag's neck with a rather tight hug. 

James nuzzled her neck, and bit on it tenderly, flashing his white teeth, though it belonged to the stag in Lily's eyes. He bit on it, as though asking her why she cared about Kye or his feelings so much. Somehow or other, Lily understood. 

She smiled that sad smile of hers once more and whispered against the stag's ear. "I simply can't find a nice way to reject him. But if I really reject him…" her voice trailed off and James nuzzled her further to let her continue. "… I'm afraid he might hit me." James was furious, and he stepped on the roses with more venom. 

Lily looked bemused at this sight presented before her and then laughed softly. "Relax there. He hasn't hit me… yet. And I'm not even sure if he ever will." James tilted his head and looked at her quizzically.

Lily laughed and hugged the stag with a kind of fierce protectiveness. She thanked it for being there when she needed company and thanked it for having someone to talk to, although it didn't talk at all. Its body language seemed to say it all, Lily decided. They stayed in that position for what seemed a short time. When Lily shifted a bit to adjust her position as her legs were getting numbed, James thought that she was about to leave. He panicked. He didn't want that moment to end so soon, he wanted it to last forever. 

Lily chuckled softly, sending James a pleasant chill down his spine. "Don't worry, I'm not going. Yet. It's late, though, and I think I would have to go sooner or later." James started to panic again, but then decided that it would have to be for the best. After all, there wasn't anything that lasted forever. If there was, then he hadn't experienced it yet.

After a few moments, Lily started talking again, her misty green eyes fixated on the sky. "Today is an eventful day." She smiled. Then she continued. "Today, Kye asked me out." James felt his eyebrows narrow, but that was ridiculous, as he wasn't himself now, he was a stag. Was that what she considered an event? I consider it a disaster, he thought mentally.

"Then… James told me how he felt for me." James felt himself stiffen at the sound of his own name. Lily seemed to sense it as well. "What's wrong?" she asked concernedly. James shook his head. 

"I don't know how I feel. The other night, I just… well, fell in his arms? No, he pulled me into them. I tried struggling… but he didn't seem to care or mind. Then I don't know why, I started crying over the words he said. It wasn't his fault, but the words he used just made me think about the past…" her voice trailed off. 

Just then, as James was about to respond, he and Lily heard a booming voice from not far away.

"Jamsie-poo!" that voice shouted. James groaned inwardly. He'd recognize that voice anywhere. He had nowhere else to run, and if he transformed back, Lily would never forgive him for the rest of their lives. 

"Oh, Jamsie! Where are you!" that sing-song voice interrupted his plans. 

Lily looked up and saw Sirius running through the pitch and yelling James's nickname aloud. Sirius spotted Lily and ran towards her. 

"Hello!" he cried out loud and softened his tone when he saw Lily place a finger on his lips. When she took it away, he grinned and smiled, "Sorry." 

Just as Lily was about to say something, Sirius looked down and let out a bellow of laughter as he saw the stag. Lily gave him a good frown that made Sirius stop laughing. He apologized once more and Lily forgave him for the grin he had on his face. It was rather adorable, and Lily could finally understand why the girls in the school were all over his feet.

"Have you seen my Jamsie?" he smiled down at the stag knowingly, though the question was obviously directed at Lily. Lily shook her head. 

"No, haven't seen him." 

"Funny, I thought I saw him somewhere around here." Sirius's voice still had a funny musical lilt about it.

Lily shrugged her shoulders and then told Sirius that she was going to go back to her dorm room as her roommates would probably be worrying. Sirius protested that all of them were playing Exploding Snap in the boys' dormitory. Then he almost regretted that decision of telling her that there were girls in his room. Lily _was_ a Head Girl, after all. To his surprise, Lily simply smiled and said, "They are? Well, tell them not to stay out too late and I'll be in my room. I'm tired." She then gave out a tired yawn, as if to prove her point. Sirius smiled and shrugged. He told Lily to go back to her room first and said something about settling something before he went back.

Lily nodded and walked slowly back. Just as James was about to transform back and face the music played by Sirius, Lily suddenly turned around, surprising both Sirius and James. "Sirius!" she called out. Sirius looked up and grinned again.

"Yes?"

"Take good care of the cute stag, all right? See that it's placed back where it came from." Then she put a questioning finger to her chin and added, "Wherever it came from." With that, she smiled and ran all the way back.

James saw that the coast was finally clear and transformed back into his human self. He looked down at the slightly shorted Sirius, who was looking up and grinning mischievously. "Well, Jamsie-poo? How about a game of exploding snap?"

James was more than surprised at Sirius's easy acceptance of it. But he should have known better.

"Come on, you've delayed me long enough, Jamsie-poo. I bet Remus would love to hear all about the new story." 

James, curious, asked Sirius what in the world was he talking about. Sirius shrugged, outwardly indifference. Inwardly, he was just excited enough to fly without a broomstick. He finally had a chance to bait James.

"Oh, nothing, just the story called 'Beauty and the Stag'". James glared at him and when Sirius said, "What?" innocently. He couldn't help but mutter a blasphemy under his breath.

"I hate you, Sirius." 

"I know that. It doesn't make a difference, does it?" James sighed as he followed the laughing Sirius back to their room. He was right, there wasn't any difference. None at all. God's truth, his life was about to come to its miserable terms soon. 


	6. Game Over

****

Disclaimer

I do not own any of the characters below, except for Jamie Kincaid, though I got the name from a book. 

****

In the previous chapter…

"Take good care of the cute stag, all right? See that it's placed back where it came from." Then she put a questioning finger to her chin and added, "Wherever it came from." With that, she smiled and ran all the way back.

****

James saw that the coast was finally clear and transformed back into his human self. He looked down at the slightly shorted Sirius, who was looking up and grinning mischievously. "Well, Jamsie-poo? How about a game of exploding snap?"

James was more than surprised at Sirius's easy acceptance of it. But he should have known better.

"Come on, you've delayed me long enough, Jamsie-poo. I bet Remus would love to hear all about the new story." 

James, curious, asked Sirius what in the world was he talking about. Sirius shrugged, outwardly indifference. Inwardly, he was just excited enough to fly without a broomstick. He finally had a chance to bait James.

"Oh, nothing, just the story called 'Beauty and the Stag'". James glared at him and when Sirius said, "What?" innocently. He couldn't help but mutter a blasphemy under his breath.

"I hate you, Sirius." 

"I know that. It doesn't make a difference, does it?" James sighed as he followed the laughing Sirius back to their room. He was right, there wasn't any difference. None at all. God's truth, his life was about to come to its miserable terms soon. 

****

Game Over

"You sure you're not going, Prongs?" Sirius yelled over his shoulder. When James shook his head firmly, Sirius shrugged, showing his indifference, as he turned his attention to Remus. "You, too, Moony?" he yelled once again, leading people along the hallway to look in their direction. Seeing all the attention they were getting due to Sirius's shouting, Remus's face flushed. He had put a finger to his own lips to silence Sirius, but once again, Sirius shrugged his problems away.

Remus and James both said 'no' and shook their heads firmly to emphasize their point for about the fifth time, until Sirius finally decided to let them off and pull Peter off to Hogsmeade. 

That weekend was Hogsmeade weekend. Everyone was rushing out to meet some other people to go out to the joke shop or the robe shop. Although it was only in the month of June then, there were some people, girls, to be specific, that had already planned what to wear to the year end sort of prom. It was a graduation ball, to be certain, but prom for short form. All of the four Marauders had thought it vain to be thinking about it so early in the year, all, except of course, Sirius. Sirius had merely praised the ideas and said that the girls were probably dressing up for them, if not for him. Sometimes, James would just like to clout Sirius on the head for being such an insufferable git. And more that ever would James like to do that now. 

Last night was the worst night James had ever suffered in the half year he had been at Hogwarts. Remus and Peter had teased him the most, and though Sirius hadn't told other people about it because of their Animagus forms, the three of them were practically the worst. Worse than Rita Skeeter, if James might say so himself. They kept probing and asking and had finally, only shut up when James threatened to turn them into toads. That, actually, made them laugh harder, as Transfiguration was actually James's most hated subject. He could actually accidentally turn _himself_ into one hideous toad.

When most of the students had already left, James and Remus both looked at each other, as if wondering what they were supposed to do now. Then, James mumbled something about being in one of the classrooms as one of the teachers had summoned him. Following that excuse was Remus saying that he himself had to go to the library to do some research on the newest Charms project they had been bestowed upon. 

James nodded and started walking in the opposite direction from Remus when he suddenly turned around in his footsteps, only to find Remus already gone around the bend of the corridor.

Since when did they have a new Charms project?

Ten minutes later, James met Remus again. Neither at the library nor at one of the classrooms. And when they met once again, all of James's thoughts about asking Remus about the Charms project flew out of an imaginary window, as two pairs of blue eyes silently mused in wonder and mocked at each other.

"A Charms project?" James said incredulously.

"One of the teachers?" Remus said at exactly the same time.

  
Then the both of them looked at each other and smiled lopsidedly, as two arms, one of each, reached forward to knock the wooden door in front of them.

Lily sighed as she heard a knock on the wooden door. She stood up from her original position, which was knees crossed and palms on kneecaps, just the position for meditation, and sighed once more. That knock must have come from Melissa or Cheryl. Couldn't have been Jamie. For one, Jamie was sick that day, and had proclaimed that she would stay in her room for the whole day if it was possible. Moreover, Jamie wouldn't be so irresponsible that she would forget to bring something to Hogsmeade. 

She walked slowly to the door, wondering what it was that the two gits didn't bring. Passing by the mirror, it gave Lily a derisive snort, just to show what she thought about Lily's appearance right now. Tightly tied ponytails at the sides of her head, less than skimpy clothes on her, and thick black framed glasses to be specific. 

Lily stopped for a while and wondered if she should change into a more appropriate outfit. Just in case. But the rapid knocking on the door was prompting her to open the door so much, that Lily was sure that it would be either Cheryl or Melissa. 

It was neither Cheryl nor Melissa. Lily felt her jaw stiffen as she took in the sight presented before her. The shock she felt wasn't just one-sided; it was fairly mutual. The look was passed through all three of them. 

James felt himself stare at Lily and although he knew that it was rude to be pinning people down with glances or stares like that, he simply didn't give a hoot about the lack of politeness of it right now. He was just too shocked. 

Remus raised one of his well-defined eyebrows in disbelief. Was this unruly and rogue looking girl the same sophisticated and mature lady who had escorted all four of them around Hogwarts on their first day? Apparently so. But Remus couldn't really believe that in such short notice. Yet he was the first to react. 

"I – ah – _do _believe that we have the wrong room," he muttered, after clearing his throat.

Lily knew that Remus was lying when he said that they had come to the wrong room, and she was thankful for that distraction, for she simply couldn't take the weird and funny glances tossed her way anymore, especially by James. 

She quickly nodded and tried closing the door to end this humiliation being dumped onto her when James outstretched one of his hands and stopped the door from being slammed into his face. He then turned to face Remus with a glare.

"What do you mean we have the wrong room?" James all but shouted.

  
Lucky for Remus, he had already known James's temper by heart and didn't take notice of James flaring up in front of him. "I _mean_ that we have come to the wrong room. Unless you happen to be Lily Evans?" 

That was the end, Lily knew. The end to everything. The end to whatever act she had been playing in as an important role and character. The end to her seven years of successful façade. 

She was still wondering, panicking, about whether she should tell the truth or not. For the truth seemed to be _the_ most obvious thing lying blatantly in front of all of them; yet the lies seemed to be more welcoming than whatever challenges or punishments she knew she was about to face in due time.

Just as she opened her mouth to speak, another voice traveled from behind her, sending her train of thoughts to a place named Timbuktu, which promptly didn't exist, as we all know. 

It was this same voice that made Remus's knees buckle, which then led to him remembering what his business was, before he came upon this strange encounter.

"Lily?" a weak voice echoed from behind her.

  
Lily could have sworn that she would clout Jamie on the head for calling her name out loud. Then again, Jamie was not to blame whatsoever. It was mainly her fault for thinking so stupidly that it was either one of her other two close friends that had come a knocking on the stupid dumb door. 

Lily sighed and realized that she had absolutely no way out as she turned to face Jamie, whose right now, violet eyes were wide open, and had traces of red, proving her tiredness due to the nasty cold. Jamie hugged this huge red and gold coverlet closer to her, as if it was some kind of reassurance which Lily could somehow do without. 

Another sighed followed as Lily walked back to her own room, feeling that all hopes of hers had been destroyed, now that her secret wasn't known to only four people in the entire school. And what could be more worse, to let the two most popular guys in the whole of Hogwarts know her true self? Having her petite body flung across her bedding, Lily tried to ransack her body for what little tears she had left. Unfortunately, she found them.

James was too shocked by all this to notice the blush that had crept slowly unto Jamie's cheeks when she saw Remus and his bouquet and realized what Remus had truly come for. James would also have noticed that Jamie was still clinging onto her coverlet even when she walked out of the room to accept the bouquet of flowers from a blushing Remus and give him a peck on his cheek, only to elevate his level of redness.

  
James would have also noticed the glare that Jamie gave him, instead of the soft glance towards Remus, as if all this was his fault. He gritted his teeth and walked into Lily's room boldly, as if he had some serious business to get down to. Once again, the mirror clicked its tongue rapidly as it silently watched the scenario taking place. 

He slammed the door and nearly took its hinges off. He was about to shout into Lily's ears for being the deceitful person that she was and slap the senses out of her when he noticed her tiny body shaking uncontrollably. Was she crying now? James couldn't tell. And a moment ago, James could have sworn that he wouldn't have cared. Now, faced with such reality and truth of it all, James couldn't help but feel sorry and sadness for her. He hated himself for giving in to her sobs so easily, hated himself for the weak personality he had in him, but absolutely loved himself that minute as he took the shaking Lily into his warm arms and soothing her by rubbing her lower back slowly. By then, he had noticed that Lily had already worn her 'mask', and that nearly had him flaring up once again. Nearly, but not quite, as he slowly and gently wiped the tears from her already tear-streaked cheeks. 

James sighed inwardly, but after a while, smiled at the thought of what all this meant. All it meant was… game over.

Remus couldn't get his blush to stop even when the both of them had already walked halfway along the long and winding corridor. Jamie couldn't help but sneeze a few times as she caught the unexpected breeze. Remus, of course, noticed her slight discomfort and hesitated not once as he pulled her closer to him. What he thought was little warmth from him turned out to be the warmest hearth with the most soothing fire Jamie had ever seen.

  
The both of them stayed in their positions for God knows how long. Not that it was unpleasant, though. For two strangers huddled in that position, maybe. But for two people who felt the same way for each other, not so. Their backs were leaned against the wall which supported both their weights and Remus's arms were around Jamie's waist and Jamie was all but sitting on Remus's lap. It was heartwarming, no doubt. 

Then Jamie suddenly turned around and faced Remus with their faces only inches apart. Remus was so glad and delighted that Jamie was going to initiate the kiss when Jamie suddenly spoke. 

"Please don't tell anyone about what you saw today," she whispered softly.

Remus was quite disappointed about the kiss he expected to get but didn't get, but he nodded and promised anyway. Satisfied with that promise of Remus, Jamie started to turn back around when Remus stopped her from moving. 

"Oh, no you don't," he whispered, his breath sending tingling shivers down Jamie's spine as it blew upon her parted lips. 

The kiss was thorough and satisfying. By the time they were done, Remus couldn't say that he was glad and delighted, though. 

He was elated. 

A/N: So how was it? Please read and review!! And maybe it would help that tinge of writer's block I'm about to get. Thanks!


	7. Your Game To Play

****

From the previous chapter…

James would have also noticed the glare that Jamie gave him, instead of the soft glance towards Remus, as if all this was his fault. He gritted his teeth and walked into Lily's room boldly, as if he had some serious business to get down to. Once again, the mirror clicked its tongue rapidly as it silently watched the scenario taking place. 

He slammed the door and nearly took its hinges off. He was about to shout into Lily's ears for being the deceitful person that she was and slap the senses out of her when he noticed her tiny body shaking uncontrollably. Was she crying now? James couldn't tell. And a moment ago, James could have sworn that he wouldn't have cared. Now, faced with such reality and truth of it all, 

James couldn't help but feel sorry and sadness for her. He hated himself for giving in to her sobs so easily, hated himself for the weak personality he had in him, but absolutely loved himself that minute as he took the shaking Lily into his warm arms and soothing her by rubbing her lower back slowly. By then, he had noticed that Lily had already worn her 'mask', and that nearly had him flaring up once again. Nearly, but not quite, as he slowly and gently wiped the tears from her already tear-streaked cheeks. 

James sighed inwardly, but after a while, smiled at the thought of what all this meant. All it meant was… game over.

Remus couldn't get his blush to stop even when the both of them had already walked halfway along the long and winding corridor. Jamie couldn't help but sneeze a few times as she caught the unexpected breeze. Remus, of course, noticed her slight discomfort and hesitated not once as he pulled her closer to him. What he thought was little warmth from him turned out to be the warmest hearth with the most soothing fire Jamie had ever seen.

  
The both of them stayed in their positions for God knows how long. Not that it was unpleasant, though. For two strangers huddled in that position, maybe. But for two people who felt the same way for each other, not so. Their backs were leaned against the wall which supported both their weights and Remus's arms were around Jamie's waist and Jamie was all but sitting on Remus's lap. It was heartwarming, no doubt. 

Then Jamie suddenly turned around and faced Remus with their faces only inches apart. Remus was so glad and delighted that Jamie was going to initiate the kiss when Jamie suddenly spoke. 

"Please don't tell anyone about what you saw today," she whispered softly.

Remus was quite disappointed about the kiss he expected to get but didn't get, but he nodded and promised anyway. Satisfied with that promise of Remus, Jamie started to turn back around when 

Remus stopped her from moving. 

"Oh, no you don't," he whispered, his breath sending tingling shivers down Jamie's spine as it blew upon her parted lips. 

The kiss was thorough and satisfying. By the time they were done, Remus couldn't say that he was glad and delighted, though. 

He was elated.

****

Your game to play, My price to pay

After Lily's sobs had subsided, she had refused to look at James, who was still stroking her fiery red hair absently, as if he didn't know that he was doing it until he came across a tangle and tugged at it with equal absence. 

"Ouch!" Lily half-cried, too tired to shout out loud anyway.

"Sorry," James muttered half-heartedly. He, too, was too tired to manage a full apology, although he meant it.

Lily tried moving away form James's arms and the awkwardness hanging over the both of them, but James wouldn't let her budge a foot. 

"J-James…" she started, but James hushed her.

"Listen… I won't tell anyone about today-" he said, and the reaction he got from Lily nearly cost him a chin, which she nearly broke in the hasty process of raising her head to look at James. Just to see if James were lying to her. 

Lily cocked her head slowly, but was sure that she couldn't see any fakeness in his eyes, before she smiled uncertainly and gave James 'permission' to continue with his half-finished speech.

"- BUT," Lily sighed, knowing that there probably would never be an end to this torment, "I want you to promise me something." 

Lily kept silent, not knowing what else to say, as she waited in anticipation to hear of the promise James spoke of. "I never want you to wear that horrid mask anymore." 

Lily pulled back from his embrace forcefully to shout her denial. 

"No?" James couldn't believe his ears. He swore that he would have boxed them himself if Lily hadn't repeated her 'no' once again, just to confirm his suspicions.

"Then I suppose I have to tell everyone about this. 'cause they're going to know, sooner or later, anyway." James knew that he was being cruel, but he seriously didn't want to let Lily continue with this façade anymore. He didn't think that there was anything shameful about her real and true self. It was as attractive as her fake self, except that the genuine one had no more barriers to it. Nothing to stop James from knowing the real Lily Evans. 

Once again, Lily shouted her 'no'. James rolled his eyes and looked at Lily, forcing her to look back into his piercing blue eyes. Yet her own green ones were none the less as piercing as the blue oasis they faced.

"I- I will try," finally Lily compromised, for she wanted to get this thing over with. 

James looked at Lily and said nothing. He raised his eyebrow and Lily raised hers at about the same angle. "Never mind," he whispered, and then he walked out of her room and out of the dormitory. 

James wasn't sure whether he was disgusted or disappointed with Lily. He wasn't sure about what he felt anymore. As he rode on his broomstick at a speed no one dared call it 'leisurely', he thought about it hard and long. But as he realized the truth of it all, he gripped his broomstick harder, in realization of the reality that presented before him. He liked Lily too much to feel anything else but liking for her. No disgust nor disappointment. None to speak of. Sighing, he was about to come down for a smooth landing, when he heard a voice from behind him. He turned his broomstick to face the person he least expected to see and not to mention, his worst enemy and rival. 

"What are you doing here, Kye?" he spat, this time, not hiding any true, genuine disgust.

  
His only answer was a true smirk and yet another genuine taunt.

"Probably not the same reason why you're up here for."

James rolled his eyes heavenward. "What the hell do you mean?"

Kye raised one of his perfectly sculptured eyebrows. "Touchy much?"

James chose to ignore him and proceeded to turn his broomstick to fly in the opposite direction when Kye gripped the end of his broomstick tightly, not caring whether he would fall if James would tug a little harder.

  
"What do you want now, huh? I don't have much time to deal with your nonsense."

Kye smirked once more, but didn't let go of James's broomstick.   
  
"Good, 'cause I have no nonsense to give you."

Getting no reply from James, who wore his lips tight now, Kye continued. "Well, well… Potter got dumped, huh? By whom, then? By Miss Evans?" 

James glared at him with full magnitude of a fire. "Shut the hell up, Bradford. Why don't you just leave me alone, so that you can answer your _own_ questions in the future?"

  
That startled Kye a bit, but Kye kept his cool and let go of James's broomstick. He smirked all the way, though, as he watched James glide down through the now tense air and alight safely on the sand pitch, where he now stood and glared at Kye for awhile before leaving the pitch.

__

Lily's mine; she'll always be. And I don't give a shit about who you really are, Potter. No one takes whatever I deem fit as mine. And mine alone.

"So… what happened after Remus and I left?" Jamie asked, now, better from her cold. She wondered if it was due to the kiss previously…

"Ah… I don't know, Jamie… James said that he wanted me to 'remove my mask'. He said it was horrid and implying that I should really be my true self, and not what I'm pretending. But I'm not really pretending, right, Jamie? I mean, yeah, my clothes and my looks… but then, my character seems to be the same, huh? Don't you think so? Plus, if I 'remove my mask', then everyone would despise me for who I am, for WHAT I am. And then, even if I continue to be the first in our level, everyone would be thinking that I might be smart, but I'm ugly and worthless through out. What think you of that, huh, Jamie?" 

Jamie blinked. Once. Then twice; before Lily's continuous words made sense to her. Lily had never blabbered like that. Much, anyway. And when she did, Jamie knew that she must really be sick from worrying.

"Ah… well… don't think about it too much, all right? All's well will end well, Lils." Jamie figured that this would be the safest answer of all, not too many lies and not too much contradiction anyway. Plus, Jamie had hoped that calling Lily by her childhood nickname would soften Lily's mood at this time. 

Lily nodded slowly, while settling herself down into her bed. Jamie was about to leave the room when Lily asked for the God knows how many times whether Remus really promised that he wouldn't tell anyone about today's 'incident'. Jamie sighed inwardly while nodding, reassuring Lily. Remus had indeed promised Jamie that he wouldn't tell anyone about today, not even Sirius, his best friend next to James, _especially_ not Sirius, Jamie added silently to herself. Who knows what Sirius would do if he knew of the truth? Jamie doubted that even God knew. And with that thought, it brought another sigh to Jamie's lips.

The next day, Remus sneezed as he walked with the other three Marauders to Transfiguration class.

"You all right there, Moony?" Sirius all but called out, even though he was just beside Remus.

Remus glared at Sirius for the commotion he always seemed to cause wherever he was. "Can you please shut up for a change, Sirius?" he muttered, meaning every word of it.

  
"Aw, come on, you don't mean that," Sirius laughed.

That got him another glare from Remus. "The hell I don't." And _that_, only got him a harder and louder laughter from Sirius.

Peter rolled his eyes while looking over at James, whose face right now seemed devoid of emotion.

"You all right?" Peter asked James softly, while trying to quiet down the 'scene' that Remus and Sirius were making. 

James forced a smile and nodded, as he continued looking forward, face expressionless.

Sirius finally turned his attention away from Remus. Thanks to everyone alive and dead for it, Remus thought, as he sneezed again. But he wasn't regretting any moment of his sneezing. He had probably caught the cold from Jamie… but what else is there to say, except that the kiss was worth everything Remus was going through right now.

"What's the matter with ya, lil' old Jamsie-poo?" Sirius asked, with a fake Southern accent that everyone, including James, winced at.

Peter rolled his eyes, and asked Sirius to quit his nonsense, but all Sirius seemed to think was that it would charm the ladies. He attempted to prove it, but 'twas too unfortunate that the only lady who came their way was Jamie. Jamie Kincaid, who right now, was madly in love with Remus Lupin, his best bud. But of course, Sirius didn't know it, yet. Remus hadn't made it official. Yet.

So as Jamie walked towards them and set Remus with a shy glance that made his heartbeat go faster, his mind devoid of any other thoughts than the yesterday's kiss. 

"Hiya, dahhhhling. What d' ya haf fer me, m' dear? A kiss, mayhap?" And Sirius bent his head down before Remus could stop him with a box on his ears. Remus couldn't contain his laughter afterwards though, when Jamie smacked the side of Sirius's head. With gusto, at that.

"What the hell is the matter with you, Sirius?" Jamie laughed at Sirius's now pouting face, as he rubbed the side of his head consciously. 

"Humph," was all he said, which got another smile from Jamie as she carefully patted Sirius's shoulder, to show that she meant no harm. Sirius, at this point, laughed. 

Jamie then turned her full attention to James. Her full glare, to be more specific. 

"Professor Snare wants me to tell you that today, after classes, you will meet him in the greenhouses for some Herbology stuff," she somewhat commanded James, though her voice was flat, without any emotion to speak of.

But emotion was what all four Marauders got when Remus broke the silence with a sneeze. Remus smiled sheepishly as he saw all four heads turn towards his direction.

Jamie was the first person to recover from the silence. "Come, let's go," she said, with so much gentleness that Sirius couldn't believe his ears. Then, Jamie left with Remus, without Remus saying anything that sounded remotely like a 'goodbye' as the both of them linked arms and walked down the rest of the corridor before they turned in the other direction, towards the hospital ward. In fact, Remus looked as if he was floating down the hallway.

The expression on Sirius's face was quite funny, as it switched from an amused look, to a dark glare, then back to the amused look. 

The three of them continued walking slowly and quietly, when suddenly Sirius burst out, "See? So that was why Miss Kincaid wouldn't accept my gracious kiss. I haven't lost my touch, after all!" And with that, he blew a kiss to two nearby Hufflepuff girls whom they had never spoken to. And the two girls, in return, giggled happily and stopped in their tracks to blatantly ogle at Sirius as the Marauders, except Remus, passed them by slowly. 

In class, later, Sirius, after getting rather sick and tired of Jamie and Remus passing shy glances to each other, did his own share of note-passing. He scribbled quickly with his exquisite feather quill, while trying to tone down the voice of the dumb Transfiguration teacher. 

"Psst." He whispered to James as he passed a note of his to him.

James nearly snapped his neck as he sat up straight from watching Lily all this time and read the note that Sirius passed to him, taking careful attention to the teacher at the same time.

James rolled his eyes as whatever it was that Sirius wrote registered in his now half-blocked mind. Maybe that was why he was responding slowly to everything else today. The note read:

Jamsie-poo~

How 'bout a nice game of Quidditch in 'ze pitches after classes, huh? Vhat 'zink you of 'zat?

'ze Charmer

Another rolling of James's eyes followed as he read Sirius's ridiculous endearments once more. And with that, he returned Sirius's note with a short reply of his.

Well, 'ze Charmer, I don't think you heard what Jamie told us this morning. I am supposed to meet Snare in the greenhouses after classes today. Have you left your mind somewhere in the dorm room? Oops. I forgot. You don't have a mind to start with.

JAMES HAROLD POTTER

Sirius had only laughed at the way James's sarcasm had placed itself. He had already forgotten that he was in the middle of a class when he had laughed out loud. He only realized it when everyone turned their heads towards him, unfortunately, that also included the head of the teacher.

  
"What, pray tell, is so funny, Mister Black? The fact that I just repeated a history of a great magician or the fact that you don't believe it?" 

"Ah, well, you see, I'm sorry, Professor Lafleur. But I was recalling another history of my own." 

Professor Lafleur raised one of her golden eyebrows. "And what might that be?" But before Sirius could speak further, she waved her hand, as if to dismiss the subject. "Never mind, Mister Black. Just sit down." James would have smiled at the look of despair on the professor's face, if not for the seriousness of the issue.

Sirius obviously didn't care about the seriousness, though. He had simply smiled and said, "Sure thing," in a rather loud voice, as he sat down in his seat, while managing a perfectly straight face.

As the professor's voice continued droning on and on, Sirius quickly scribbled back to James's reply. 

'JAMES HAROLD POTTER,'

How could u get ur own name wrong. It's supposed to be 'JAMIE HELGA POTTY'. Now u know y I call u Jamsie-poo sometimes. Btw (by the way), how come you never ask some one else to do the dirty jobs for u? u know u r THE most popular guy in almost the entire school. Well, of course, with the exception of me. 

Since u dun seem 2 like 

'ze Charmer… that's too bad, lil' ol' Jamsie-poo.

James was about to return another one of sarcastic remarks when one of Sirius's phrases struck him with a different meaning. He read through the phrase 'how come u never ask some one else to do the dirty jobs for u?', and silently praised Sirius for giving him a totally new idea, a totally new direction to follow, so he wouldn't be as lost as he was before. So he crumpled the note, indicating the end of their little chat. Sirius looked a wee bit disappointed, but his face turned into a look of pure humor as he mouthed the words, 'no fun', to James, who in return smiled broadly and quickly, before the professor caught the two of them talking again. He certainly didn't need any more detentions coming at him, especially not when he has finally sorted some thing through.

James looked high and low for Lily after classes and after he had met Professor Snare to discuss some stupid and dumb Herbology stuff. Seemed to the professor that James wasn't paying much attention in his classes and that he didn't want to have James falling in his grades… yada yada yada… James had totally lost whatever time he had planned beforehand to meet Lily. 

It was a rather embarrassing search, though. He met Sirius and Peter along the hallway to Lily's dorm room and Sirius called out for James in a loud voice. So loud that everyone nearby who hadn't turned their heads towards them for attention turned now, so see what the commotion was about. The most embarrassing thing was Sirius had called James in a most sickening way. 

"Oh, there he is! Oh Jamsie-poo! Jamie!" James stopped in his tracks and wished that his face wasn't practically glowing like it was. He rubbed his left temple, which he found was throbbing, slowly. One day, he just might grow crazy with all that name-calling of Sirius. One day. This day, however, as soon as he did his business, he would definitely cut Sirius's tongue out. That is, James was pretty sure that Sirius had only one tongue. With all that calling, James had sometimes wondered whether Sirius had five tongues instead of just one. 

"Jamie!" Sirius called out once again, even when James was quite within hearing distance. He sighed as he met Sirius halfway, unable to take anymore of his nicknames echoing through the corridor. 

"Have you two seen Lily?" 

Sirius raised his eyebrow suspiciously, as if to inquire why James was looking for her. Fortunately for James, Peter opened his mouth to speak first. This was really one of the few times when he was actually grateful to the rather timid little guy. (A/N: timid? *snorts* Yeah, right. Voldemort sure trained him well, then.)

"No. Have you seen Remus?"

James shook his head and bid the two of them farewell quickly, before Sirius could ask him for any information James didn't feel like giving then. Maybe not ever, not to Sirius anyway. 

Afterwards, he did find Remus; caught him in embarrassing act part two. He was kissing, no, maybe snogging, Jamie in front of her dorm room. James rolled his eyes and cleared his throat. The both of them broke apart so quickly that Jamie almost hit her head against the wall behind her, which was, no doubt, supporting her weight during and after their little snogging session. Remus, James knew, was quite a kisser. All four of them were, actually, well, except Peter. (A/N: you bet!)

Jamie straightened her robes while Remus, trying to hide his chagrin, brushed imaginary lint off his dark blue robes, which James noticed that he had changed into. No doubt to bring out the blue in his eyes further, just to impress Jamie. 

"Lily?" Jamie repeated. James nodded and heard Jamie said that she wasn't in the room and was probably in the library doing research. Then he left the two of them with an embarrassed smile, as if he was finally realizing that he had intruded into something private.

Remus was leaning in towards Jamie again when Jamie suddenly voiced her thoughts out loud.

"You know… just now… when we were – ah – kissing…" she felt a blush creep up her cheeks. "… I thought I heard someone call my name."

Remus tilted his head to one side. "Hmm?" 

"Yeah. It sounded like Sirius… though it couldn't possible be him…" Jamie's voice trailed off as she saw the corners of Remus's mouth curl themselves into a smile. 

"Never mind," Jamie whispered against Remus's mouth. 

James finally found Lily in the library, doing research, just like what Jamie said. She looked so pretty, her silhouette soft as it painted itself against the background of equally soft candlelight from the lamp. It was rather dark, and James guessed that only Lily and the librarian were left in the library. After all, Lily was the only one who was so hardworking. Though James couldn't help but think bitterly whether all the studying Lily does is just for show.

James, turning his attention from his bitter thoughts to Lily, he saw that Lily kept pushing a wild strand of her red hair out of her vision. The action was repetitive and James couldn't help but smile at the look of frustration on Lily's face every time she pushed it back behind her ear. But then, James had another bitter thought arising in his mind. Maybe this is really what she is… not that sweet, demure or docile girl every one knows her to be…

He shook his head forcefully, as if to remind him to get back to his business. So he walked over to Lily, who was now squinting closely at the rather tiny text in the book. 

"Mayhap you need glasses?" James couldn't help the bitter edge in his voice. 

Lily swerved sharply at the sound of James's bitter and hard voice.

"W-what are you doing here?"

Ignoring her question, James proceeded with another sarcastic and cold remark of his. What was the blasted matter with him? he thought remorsefully. He knew he was hurting Lily as he saw how Lily tried painfully to keep her emotions in check.

Then her own voice turned out to have its own thorns. 

"If you're here to give me sarcastic and stupid remarks like those, then I suggest you get out of my sight."

James was slightly taken aback with her new tone, but he didn't let it show. 

"I- Sorry. I just wanted you to do me a favor." 

Lily raised her eyebrow. 

"What is it?" 

"I want you to – ah - " James couldn't believe it. He actually didn't think about it before he came to meet her.

"Well?" Lily tapped her right foot impatiently. James did his own share of eyebrow raising. Oh well, at least Lily was acting more like herself. Too bad he was her only audience.

"- I want you to help me do our homework for today."

Lily's jaw dropped open.

"W-What?!" she half-shouted, forgetting that she was in the library. Lucky for her, the librarian, Madam AppleBy, had a soft spot for her, so she didn't attempt to hush her.

"What?" Lily whispered again, with a look of pure disbelief on her horror-stricken face.

"What's wrong?" James hoped he had at least managed a half innocent look on his own face.

Lily looked at him as though he was mad and deserved a place in St Mungo's. 

"Well, let me see… there are homework for Transfiguration, Charms, Defense Against Dark Arts, Muggle Studies, Arithmetic and Astronomy. Oh, right. You don't take Muggle Studies and Arithmetic… but that's still an awful lot!" she exclaimed softly.

James seemed to ponder over it for awhile. Well… it _did_ seem too much now. So he compromised and asked Lily to do the Transfiguration homework first, since it needed to be handed in tomorrow.

"And the others don't?" 

James shrugged indifferently. "They can wait. I can hand in Charms and Defense Against Dark Arts homework the day after tomorrow."

Lily looked as though she wanted so much to refuse his 'offer', but she was a smart girl, if not brilliant. She knew what refusing it would do to her. Nothing good for James Potter, but definitely everything bad for herself.

"Oh, all right." She said, while starting to pack up.

James grabbed her wrist tenderly, as if it was made of fragile glass and it might break any time. Then when Lily looked at him with surprise in her eyes, he tightened his hold and asked her in what he hoped was a cold voice where she was going.

"I'm going to pack up and leave. What else does it look like I'm doing?" Lily gave him a good frown to let him know what she thought of his sudden attitude and strength change.

"Why? Just stay and finish the, ah, stuff I asked you to do." Hell, James couldn't even remember what he had asked Lily to do.

"The library's _closing_." Lily spat it out as if it was the most obvious thing in the whole wide world.

James let go of her wrist slowly as he whispered, "Not now." Then, as if confirming Lily's suspicions, he went to the librarian who was about to leave and ask them to leave as well. He talked to the librarian in whispers that Lily couldn't possibly know what the both of them were talking about. Then, after a few minutes, Lily could see Madam AppleBy nod her head and left the library… leaving James and Lily alone… in the big library.

James smiled as he approached a shocked looking Lily. 

"Don't look so surprised. I just merely asked her to have some rest earlier. That we needed to finish some work the professors asked us to do."

All that Lily was sigh as she slumped back in her seat and started taking out her Transfiguration homework and the textbooks. This was going to be a long night. 

  


__


	8. Something Like You

****

Disclaimer

I do not own any of the characters below. But I did use a song from N' Sync, "Something Like You", at the end of the chapter. 

At about two a.m. in the morning, Lily finally finished her homework. No, James's homework, she thought to herself irritably. She rubbed her weary eyes and starting packing her things slowly into her cauldron. She looked up and saw that James's head was on the table, rested on both his arms. She frowned. Typical, she thought, of him to go off and sleep and make her do his homework for him. 'twas almost ridiculous the minute Lily thought about it. So she managed to concentrate on the Transfiguration homework. And for once, she wanted to curse Professor Lafleur for giving each of them different assignments of their own choice to do. And James HAD to choose another topic from hers. Damn them all.

James's head turned to one side at that damning thought of Lily's and Lily started. Despite herself, she smiled as she bent down to inspect James's sleeping face. A voice inside her started arguing with her.

__

What do you think you're doing? 

What does it **look** like I'm doing?

Instead of answering her question, the voice replied with another question of it.

__

You like him, don't you?

Are you an idiot or something? Or course I don't!

OH, really? Could've fooled me.

Oh shut up. What are you? My therapist?!

With that, James stirred from his sleep and woke up with a start as he saw a pair of emeralds looking back at him.

He sat back straight in his seat and started adjusting his glasses. 

"I thought it was my imagination that someone was breathing down in my face," he said, while an arrogant smile danced on his handsome features.

Lily frowned and grabbed her books, attempting to leave when James called out, "Wait!" 

Lily stopped and her frown got more intense. "Oh, right." Then she slammed James's assignment, the one _she_ did, on the wooden desk that now separated the both of them.

James actually had the nerve to look puzzled. Then he picked the pieces of parchment up and scrutinized it, as if examining it. Then his eye lit with understanding as he smiled.

Lily rolled her eyes, wondering what he was up to again. She left the library before he could say anything that would make sense to either of them.

The next few days passed by not so peacefully. There was no tranquility to speak of, to be specific. Despite the fact that Lily had to struggle to do both hers _and_ James's assignments, she still had to have time for James and his imploring questions. Every time he handed her with a new assignment, he kept sitting by her side, disrupting her concentration and also kept asking questions about her, some questions that she didn't want to answer, so she just sometimes smoothly changed the subject. Once or twice, he had let it pass without suspicion, but when the same question came up in his 'interrogation', and the subject was changed again by Lily, his suspicions rose along with his left eyebrow, but he never got down to pushing her. For that alone, Lily was grateful. Actually, 'twas the _only_ thing Lily was grateful for, in the matters where James was concerned. 

That whole week… James had been piling her desk with piles and piles of work. Homework, research work… anything you name, she had done it. She had told her friends about what happened the other day the others were at Hogsmeade. Of course, since Jamie knew, seeing the dark circles under Lily's eyes, she had enough wisdom in her to just keep quiet and not ask about anything. With that much work to do, even Jamie couldn't blame Lily for having a temper that was more easily riled up. But of course, she didn't show it in front of other people.

To both Jamie and Lily's surprise, the reactions they got from Melissa and Cheryl were completely different from what they had expected before. 

Cheryl had simply smiled and looked bemused as she said quietly, "Hmm…"

Melissa, though, was rather excited and had started jumping on her bed, asking over and over again, "Was Sirius there, too?"

The corners of Lily's mouth tilted upwards, something that was getting rarer and rarer by the minute. Especially when she looked over at her desk and sighs. 

"Sirius wasn't there, Mel," looking at Melissa's disappointed face, Lily couldn't help but tease her further. "Thank goodness for that, too." That, expectedly, got a glare from Melissa.

Lily screamed in frustration. It was a Saturday, almost a week since James and Remus had found out about her cover.

  
Everyone was out there enjoying themselves. And for once, Lily would prefer a butter beer to anything else in the world. She couldn't take it anymore. 

Yesterday morning, James was all smiles, as usual, and had come to her table to pass her a note, then he had the audacity to saunter away. Lily forced a smile upon her face, seeing the many others' faces looking at the both of them like they were together. Ha! Lily had thought. Over my dead body. (A/N: Hmm…)

She read the note carefully, wary of any hidden meanings or tricks. And that little fact, had actually made the smile on James's face falter a bit. The contents in the note were to ask her not to go out to Hogsmeade tomorrow, that he had to talk to her about something. 

Another project, no doubt, Lily thought bitterly.

Snapping back to reality by the knock on her door, she walked slowly, shoulders hunched forward. She was practically crawling. But as she passed by the mirror that clicked its tongue, she turned and removed her glasses and the tight rubbed bands, setting her fiery hair loose. She looked down at her pink tank top and dark green shorts. 

Whatever, she thought. It most probably is Mister do-my-homework for me. So she just put on a black robe. 

She opened the door with one door while another hand massaged both temples of her.

Indeed, standing in front of her was James Potter.

"Are you all right?" James asked concernedly, as soon as he stepped into her dormitory.

  
All he got was a glare and a muttered reply, that held back no bitterness.

"I'm perfectly peachy, thank you very much." 

James's eyebrow arched at her tone. But Lily didn't seem to care. So James just tossed a casual glance towards the pile of homework on her desk.

"Doing your homework?" he asked just as casually.

"No," she spat bitterly, looking at James as if he was right now her mortal nemesis. "Yours."

All that came out of James's mouth was a silent 'oh'. 

Lily sat down on the couch and looked at him with a direct glance.

"What is it?"

James gave her a good frown to let her know what he thought of her tone. But as Lily thought before, she didn't care. Not anymore.

"I just wanted to see if you have time for the-" Lily thought, this is really the final straw.

So before James could continue, Lily burst out, "Enough!"

James's jaw dropped down to the floor. (A/N: All right, it was an exaggeration, but hey, it's the first time he has ever heard Lily shout in his face.) 

"I've had enough, all right?! Enough of you giving me orders like I'm your house-elf! Enough of you giving me piles of homework that I don't even have time for myself, let alone sleep! I've had enough." She ended with a finality that neither of them wanted to question further, before she stood up to her full height, her petite body shaking, and proceeding to go back to her own room.

James held her forearm, unwilling to let her go, unwilling for things to end that way.

"Lily…" he started quietly and uncertainly.

Lily didn't even stop in her tracks, she just continued plowing forward, even though James's strength was overpowering. That was also one of the reasons James didn't want to let go of her. She would fall terribly. Literally.

However, in Lily's attempt to struggle free of James's grasp, she turned around abruptly, and James, shocked of the sudden reflex action in Lily, let go of her arm, in case he twisted it. And Lily's palm, incidentally, struck itself across James's cheek. It was no light strike, either, with the amount of force Lily had mustered up before.

Lily was shocked as she finally turned around and saw the red imprint on James's cheek and the little but nonetheless existing trickle of blood down the side of James's lips. He must have known that it bled, for he wiped the blood away from his lips with the back of his hand, while looking, unblinking, at Lily's astonished expression. 

When he finally broke the glance, he didn't leave the room, just like Lily had expected. He sat down on the floor, in front of Lily, with his right knee propped up and the other leg slack against the lush red carpet. His right arm was also slack and relaxed against his propped up knee. He didn't look at Lily anymore, but now, he was rubbing his fingertips lightly across his cheek.

Lily, self-consciously, felt her own cheek, and was surprised to find it wet. She didn't even know that she was crying. Yet now, she was sure enough, for she suddenly tasted the salt in her tears.

She knelt down in front of James but he kept his head low. Lily went closer, between his stretched out legs, (A/N: please don't think dirty. haha…) and reached out tentatively. She placed her shaking fingers over his calm ones. For a moment, James looked at her from beneath his black lashes. And Lily thought that he was going to push her hand away, before he reached out suddenly, catching Lily unaware and pulling her into his arms.

Lily didn't struggle. She looked deep into James's sapphire eyes, and unconsciously, her amused gaze dropped down to his slightly parted lips. And they were coming closer to hers.

The kiss was all lips, no tongues. It was all about their lips moving over each other's. James tasted the tears on her own lips. And Lily tasted blood, which was had a sort of rusty feeling. But it was more than pleasant to Lily. 

After that exchange of blood and tears, Lily pulled back reluctantly, as she could feel herself out of breath. She found that her arms were around his neck, and wondered how it got there in the first place. 

"Lily, I never meant to hurt you. All this time…" but Lily stopped James's explanation by putting a finger on his lips. James shook his head, indicating that he had to finish the explanation.

"All this time… all I could think of was you. Ever since I laid my eyes on you, I've never thought of anyone else. And for all these doing my assignments thingie… it was just another excuse to get closer to you," he smiled sheepishly. 

"Forgive me?" he inquired softly.

Lily could only nod. She was too shocked to say anything right now. So she planted another soft kiss on James's lips, before stroking his cheek, which wasn't so red now.

"I'm so sorry…" 

James silenced her with another kiss of his. And they both smiled, against the feel of each other's lips on their own.

**__**

So many times

I thought I had it in my hands

But just like grains of sand

They'll slip through my fingers

And so many nights

I asked the lord above

Please make me lucky enough

To let me find the love I need… girl

Something keeps telling me

That you could be my answered prayer

You must be heaven sent, I swear

'cause something happens when you look at me

I don't get to speak

Something happens when you kiss my mouth

My knees get so weak

Could it be true, this is what God has meant for me?

'cause baby I can't believe that something like you could happen to me

Something like you

Girl in your eyes

I feel your fire burn

Oh your secrets I will learn

Even if it takes forever

With you by my side

I don't care what tomorrow brings

As long as we're together

My heart is telling me

That you could be my meant-to-be

I know it more each time we kiss

'cause something happens when you look at me

I don't get to speak

'cause Something happens when you kiss my mouth

My knees get so weak

Could it be true, this is what God has meant for me?

'cause baby I can't believe that something like you could happen to me

Something like you

Something magical

Something spiritual

Something for the two of us alone

Something physical

Something undeniable

Nothing like anything

That I've ever known

'cause something happens when you look at me

I don't get to speak

'cause Something happens when you kiss my mouth

My knees get so weak

Could it be true, this is what God has meant for me?

'cause baby I can't believe that something like you could happen to me

Something like you

A/N: Should I end the story now? Hmm… something keeps telling me that maybe I shouldn't. But I _would_ need reviews to encourage the writing of my next chapter. *grins evilly* So… read and review! Oh yeah, and check out the new story my cousin and I wrote together. It's "Hope Floats". D/H!!! And her account is "Bad Gurl". Thanks!


	9. Peace Think Again

****

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned below, except for Jessica Leah Andrews and Courtney Brewster. So please don't sue me! Thanks! =)

****

Peace... Think Again

James and Lily held tentative hands as they walked along the hallway, on their way to Transfiguration class. The hallway was practically empty, if you even considered those people who walked by with heads half-buried in their books. 

Lily whispered so softly that James had to bend his head down, just to hear her.

  
"Are you sure that what we're doing is right?"

James's eyes reflected slight surprise as he nodded firmly.

Lily gave him a small smile as he squeezed her hand more tightly. James returned her smile, only to feel a dull ache in his cheek. He didn't show it, though, for he was afraid that Lily might be worried for him all over again. 

But then… he thought… it wouldn't be that bad either… he thought about the way Lily had kissed his cheek tenderly, hoping to erase the mark she had created in a fit of pique. 

Lily pinched his arm lightly to get his attention. James snapped back to reality and followed the direction of Lily's stare.

Standing in front of them were a bunch of Hufflepuff girls, who looked so red-faced, the both of them would have laughed if not for the seriousness of the situation. They seemed to have a bit of a trouble breathing, as their chests heaved up and down. 

One of them started pointing at their holding of hands and started sputtering something nonsensical that James was positive that it would have been insult if she was more clear headed.

So he parted the way, dividing them into two groups of staring statues, as he said coolly, "We thank you for your congratulations; but we must go now. We will be late for classes."

Lily gave a slight frown as they continued walking to their classroom. 

  
"That went well," she muttered under her breath.

James shrugged playfully and nudged her lightly to let her know that it was nothing.

"There would be plenty more who would be happy for us," he assured Lily, who was shaking slightly. Lily could only nod, not knowing of what to do with this new reassurance.

As they walked into the class, the noise in the classroom came to a standstill and everyone in the classroom turned to stare at the newly found couple. And to Lily's chagrin, that included the Transfiguration professor. 

However, to everyone else's surprise, the teacher simply smiled and motioned for them to sit down and for Sirius to quit his cat-calling.

At lunch, everyone was congratulating Lily and James. 

"You two look so great together!" (chirps: yeah!)

"Wow… just look at them!" (snaps: stop your staring!)

"Why can't you ever be as romantic as James?" (reply: he's a flirt, dear)

"Why can't you be prettier than Lily?" (whispers dangerously: try one more word, _darling_.)

Some comments made Lily red in the face with embarrassment and delight, some rare ones made James flush slightly with anger. (A/N: three guesses to where those particular comments came from)

And so it went, with the whole day going perfectly all right. 

"What are you going to do now?"

"What else? James is mine, and no one can take him away from me. I've set my eyes on him since he set foot into this bloody school, and I'll be all he'll ever look at," came the emphatic reply.

"I'm not worried whether James would accept you or not; I'm sure he will. But what about Evans?"

"She thinks she's so great. And everyone thinks that she is Miss Perfect. We'll see; I don't think there is all that meets the eye." 

"Whoopee!" Sirius cheered as he jumped about the boys' dormitory; some of the boys stared at him, but Sirius ignored them all. 

Remus tilted his head in half-amusement, half-irritation.

"What is it, Sirius?"

"Nothing much, just that I have a date with…" at this time, almost all the guys in the room had their ears perked up for the new piece of information. It was always one of their curiosities who Sirius was dating that week. Seeing that Sirius had almost everyone's attention, he continued. "…Courtney Brewster!" 

Gasps.

Even Remus was surprised. 

"Courtney Brewster? She's… kind of hot, I guess."

"You guess?! Kind of?! Remus, you must be blind!" Sirius laughed.

Remus shrugged and turned to James, only to see him gazing into space. That was all he was doing nowadays, except when he was in the company of Lily Evans, of course.

Remus grinned and nudged James not-so-lightly in the ribs.

"Ouch! What's it to you?" James mumbled, rubbing his ribs with vigor.

"Oh, nothing. Didn't you hear what announcement Sirius was making?" Remus prodded.

James shook his head. Remus sighed and repeated what Sirius had told him, along with the rest of the Gryffindor people. And Sirius, by now, was already at the other corner of the room, telling willing listeners tips and hints of how he got a date with her.

"Courtney Brewster…? Who's that?"

"Oh, she's really pretty, to be honest. Haven't you seen her in school before? She's in Slytherin-" before Remus could continue, James cut in, "She's a Slytherin? Since when did Sirius date Slytherins?"

Remus shrugged once more. "Sirius dates all kinds of people. And as I said, why wouldn't he date Courtney? I thought I said that she's really pretty. You might want to check her out. She has honey blonde hair and light green eyes. Definitely a catch, you know."

James raised his left eyebrow suspiciously. "You don't like her, do you?"

Remus looked horrified at that idea. "No! Of course not! Jamie's all I would ever want or need!" Then he nodded his head firmly, as if to emphasize his point.

James smiled, and then his smile disappeared as he said, "So what if she's really pretty? Lily rocks my world, and I wouldn't want anyone to intrude in anything that truly belongs to us. Besides, I don't like blondes. They're stupid."

Remus laughed out loud at the way James wrinkled his nose when he spoke of blondes being stupid. 

"There _are_ certain blondes in Ravenclaw, you know," he teased lightly.

"Court?"

"What?" Courtney Brewster snapped.

"Why the sudden interest in Sirius Black?" 

"Who says I like him at all? Have you been listening all this while?! The only person I'll ever like is James Potter!"

Jessica Andrews shrugged, taking no notice of the fury brewing in Courtney.

"Then why did you agree to his date?"

"Are you plain dumb or are you just acting it? Of course I would agree to that idiot's request! He's James's close friend! I can get close to James, right?! And Sirius is dumb enough to think that I like him as much as those dumb Hufflepuff girls. Just because he's cute."

Jessica gave Courtney a tiny smile. "He _is_ cute, you know. You might want to consider him."

Courtney fairly scowled at her. "You can have him if you want. But only _after_ I have had my fun with him. _Then_ you can get second hand goods. But then again…" Courtney placed a finger to her chin, pretending to be giving this matter a bit more thought. "He has been touched by so many people, he won't even be second hand. Plus," Courtney ran her eyes down Jessica's body, from head to toe. "It will be better left unsaid, don't you think? I don't want to hurt your feelings, you know." She smirked, before sashaying away, leaving only her back exposed to the open glare of Jessica Leah Andrews.

****

A/N: Hmm… review, please? How about 7 to 10 reviews? Thanks!


	10. Wicked Schemes

Cheryl looked at her in shock. She couldn't _believe_ the nerve of Courtney Brewster. 

"I don't believe this," she muttered to herself.

Courtney looked at Cheryl, trying hard not to roll her eyes at her. She made a most sincere face and prompted Cheryl.

"Well, Cher'?" 

"Don't call me Cher', you-" she couldn't go on.

Courtney couldn't hide her sigh. "Think it about this way, Cheryl. I'm just doing the _both_ of us a big favor here. Just tell me what's really going on in the dorm room every day. I mean, we both know that Lily Evans isn't what she seems, right?"

Cheryl raised her eyebrows. _That was true… _she couldn't help but think. But still…

"Wrong," she snapped, and turned her back at Courtney, who was staring at her back, wishing that looks could kill.

Then again, Courtney thought, I could try a different method…

"Cheryl! Cheryl!" 

Cheryl turned around and sighed with open exasperation. 

"What is it now, Courtney?"

"Call me Court."

Cheryl waved her off. "Whatever."

She was about to walk on further when Courtney called out her name once more.

They were only about a metre apart when Courtney said something totally unexpected and threw Cheryl off guard.

  
"Can I come to your dorm room sometime today or tonight?"

  
Cheryl frowned. What was this girl up to now?

As if reading her mind, Courtney proclaimed that although Cheryl wouldn't do her a favor, she would still like to be friends with Cheryl. 

Cheryl wouldn't agree in the first place, but Courtney looked so upset and sincere that Cheryl relented in the end.

"All right," she said reluctantly, and walked off, seriously wondering what Courtney was thinking about.

Meanwhile, Courtney was thinking about a _lot_ of things. Like how she would ruin Lily Evan's life in one day.

"Wow!" Courtney gushed falsely.

Cheryl smiled a bit grudgingly. 

  
"Cheryl? Could you please get a drink for me? I'm a bit thirsty now."

Cheryl nodded and proceeded to the kitchen.

"This is it," Courtney mumbled, as she rummaged through her backpack and brought a minute thing… a minute digital camera.

__

See, she thought as she tried wiping off the smirk on her face before Cheryl came back, _being a half-Muggle does have its advantages._

It was all over school. Pictures of Lily wearing home clothes in her dorm room. _Daring_ home clothes. Guys were whistling and practically drooling all over her long legs and the girlfriends were busy smacking their partners' heads and shaking their own heads at the atrocity of Lily Evans.

Lily was walking along the long corridor by herself that day. Everyone else seemed to be doing everything else, except accompanying her. The Marauders were off to meet some teacher, who wanted to chastise them on the practical jokes they always seem to be playing on the soft-spoken Herbology teacher. Cheryl and Melissa went to class a bit earlier to catch up on some homework, and Jamie was waiting for the scolding to be over and done with, so she could walk to class with Remus.

So, there she was, huddling her books close to herself, and slowly humming a slow song, when a few girls walked past her and started clicking their tongues at her. Instead of their usual morning greeting, they glared at her so hard, Lily wondered innocently if they were among the few who still did not approve of her new relationship with James.

__

Oh, well, she thought. _I can't please everyone._

But as she walked further down, and more people started staring in shock at her, Lily started to panic. What in the world was the matter? Why was everyone staring at her like a freak?

With hands slightly trembling, she passed by a notice-board and paused to check out the new messages on the board. As Head-Girl, she was supposed to get informed of the newest and latest changes in everything. 

It was as if someone knocked her heart askew. It certainly didn't feel in place anymore. Who did this? She couldn't think of anything else; she didn't even remember herself almost rubbing her eyes out, rushing into the nearest bathroom to try to wash the non-stop flowing tears away. And when she couldn't, she didn't even remember herself vomiting in disgust inflicted upon herself and the person who did this to her, before she fainted dead away.

"Is she all right?" James yelled over the din.

Madam Pomfrey frowned in dissatisfaction as she looked at James. What a messy boy, she thought. James definitely didn't look good. His hair was all over the place and his clothes were so disheveled that they looked in need of an efficient washing machine at that instant.

"Who?" 

"Lily. Lily Evans." James's heart had hurt so much when he had heard about what happened. It was still hurting; the hurting never did stop.

"She's fine. I've given her a tranquilizer." 

James wasn't really satisfied with that answer. He proclaimed that he wanted to see her. At first, Madam Pomfrey frowned with immense displeasure and was about to shoo him away. But that was before she saw the tears hidden deep in his eyes. She knew that sort of tears. It was like a river, waiting for the dam gates to be open, so the water could be lashed out. That was when she conceded and let him in. 

Of course, she had to tell him that it was only for five minutes.

Even though she suspected that she wouldn't have the heart to chase him out of the ward even if he took more time that that.

"Lily?" James called out softly, hoping that his soft pleas would somehow reach out to her. He really needed her to listen and he really needed some kind of reassurance from her that she was all right. 

He had to call her name a few more times before she really flinched in pain. James, wasting no time, quickly took hold of both her hands and squeezed with some force, trying hard not to hurt her with this newfound strength of his.

"Lily, please. Wake up. Tell me you're all right. Just tell me anything."

"James?" Lily found it hard to open her eyes. They felt so heavy… that she was so tempted to make the eyelids meet again by shutting her eyes.

"Lily, please. Don't go back to sleep."

"Okay." It was a feeble attempt to reassure James, but that was all he needed.

"Are you all right? I heard all about it."

Lily squinted to adjust to the brightness of the room. After she could see, she forced her mind to concentrate on what James was talking about. But once she did, she wished she didn't.

"Oh, James… they all know…" she started to cry, as silent tears trickled down her porcelain face.

"I know, I know. But listen to me, Lily. It doesn't matter."

"Yes it does…" her soft cries had turned to louder sobs. And James, at that time, didn't know what else to say or do.

So all he did was hug her, though afraid of breaking her bones because she was so much thinner than he was.

  
Lily didn't want any hugging, so she started to protest, though it was as weak as her voice sounded. James stopped her by saying softly to her hair, "I know you want to be alone. But right now, I just need to hug you. Just to know you're there. I need to know that no matter what happens, you're here with me."

That was all Lily needed to cry like a river. And once the dam gates were broken with such strong forces, it wasn't long, till the two rivers meet as one long tributary, which flowed to the ocean.

A/N: I think a few parts of the chapter were kind of lame, what do you think? Give me your reviews!!!


	11. Not So Clueless Anymore

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned below other than Melissa, Jamie, Cheryl and Paul Waters. So please don't sue me!!!

***Not So Clueless Anymore***

The next day, James walked to classes alone. No matter how Sirius and the rest tried to cheer him up, James's face remained expressionless. He couldn't concentrate on any of his classes either, not even in his favorite class, Flying class. The teacher had to call out his name (mind you, his full name) at least three times before he muttered a 'yes'.

All he could think ever since he saw Lily in that frail condition was "Who the hell did this to her?" Sure, he wanted Lily to face up to her true self, but he definitely would not have minded if Lily decided to take her own time to slowly break it to other people. Now that the truth was out, James could not help but feel relief… but the other emotion he was feeling was much too strong and it overpowered every emotion ever found; he felt anger. PURE anger.

__

How can anyone do something like this to Lily?

I sure don't know, a little voice in the back of his head answered.

__

Could it be any of her close friends? 

You mean, Melissa, Cheryl or Jamie?

Yeah…

Nope. Don't think so. I mean, why would they wait until now to expose the truth? They could have done it sooner.

That's true… then who else could it be? Lily doesn't seem to be that kind of person who would bear grudges and have enemies lurking around all corners…

Hmmm… don't ask me.

And that was that. James still had no clue about who did it, no matter how much talking he had done with that little voice. 

Finally, it was the end of what seemed like a very long day. There seemed to be 48 hours a day when Lily wasn't around him, he thought in despair. He turned around as he felt someone pat him on his shoulder. It was Sirius.

"Hey, I'm going to meet Marion in the Quidditch Pitch. Wanna come along?" James shook his head.

"I'm going to meet Jamie in the library; she needs some help in Muggle Studies," Remus offered. The only reply was another shake of the head.

Before Peter could make any offer at all, James suddenly spoke up. "You guys go ahead; I suddenly remembered something I have to do urgently!" and with that, he sprang into action as he ran off.

Remus scratched his sandy hair. "Never seen him move so fast since Lily's incident."

Sirius snorted and shook his head. "Tell me about it. He's been such a ditz since then. He didn't even flinch when I told him I was meeting Marion."

"Marion…?" Remus's eyes widened. "You don't say, Marion Robinson of Hufflepuff?"

"Exactly, how could I date someone like _her_?" Sirius rolled his eyes.

Even Peter couldn't control his laughter. "She's like, the biggest nerd in school!" All three of them hooted in laughter.

Meanwhile, James was searching the whole school, climbing up and down steps. He needed to find someone. And fast.

Finally, he saw the person he wanted to find.

"Paul! Wait up!"

Paul Waters stopped in his tracks. He heard someone call out his name, but when he turned around and saw only James Potter behind, he knew that it was time again for his ear check-up.

So he continued walking… until James ran and stopped in front of him, panting. 

"Didn't you hear me call you?" 

"Me? You were calling me?" 

"Why are you so surprised?" James raised his eyebrow. 

Paul almost rolled his eyes. Surprised? Hell, yeah he was surprised. It wasn't everyday that the school's most popular boy talked to the school nerd.

"Never mind. Is there something you want?" Paul predicted that there was surely something James Potter wanted, or else James wouldn't even think of conversing with him.

"Yes-" at least James was still predictable, Paul thought. "- I need you to…"

Paul's eyes widened with interest. "All right, I'll do it."

James smiled his first smile ever since he found out that Lily had been admitted into the hospital. "Is there anything you want in return?"

Paul actually looked confused. "Huh? No… is there something you want me to want?"

James smiled his second smile, then his third when he found out that he was making some progress in the facial expressions department of his. He also made a mental note to himself to talk to normal people more often, even though they're not as popular as himself. But first of all… he needed to settle the things he had in mind…

A/N: So… what do you think James asked Mr. Nice-but-still-a-nerd guy? Guess all you want! The answer will be revealed in the next chapter!!!


	12. Truth and Lies

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned below except for Paul Waters, Kye Bradford, Cheryl, Melissa, Jamie, Courtney Brewster and Jessica Leah Andrews.

**From the previous chapter…**

Paul Waters stopped in his tracks. He heard someone call out his name, but when he turned around and saw only James Potter behind, he knew that it was time again for his ear check-up.

So he continued walking… until James ran and stopped in front of him, panting.

"Didn't you hear me call you?"

"Me? You were calling me?"

"Why are you so surprised?" James raised his eyebrow.

Paul almost rolled his eyes. Surprised? Hell, yeah he was surprised. It wasn't everyday that the school's most popular boy talked to the school nerd.

"Never mind. Is there something you want?" Paul predicted that there was surely something James Potter wanted, or else James wouldn't even think of conversing with him.

"Yes-" at least James was still predictable, Paul thought. "- I need you to…"

Paul's eyes widened with interest. "All right, I'll do it."

James smiled his first smile ever since he found out that Lily had been admitted into the hospital. "Is there anything you want in return?"

Paul actually looked confused. "Huh? No… is there something you want me to want?"

James smiled his second smile, then his third when he found out that he was making some progress in the facial expressions department of his. He also made a mental note to himself to talk to normal people more often, even though they're not as popular as himself. But first of all… he needed to settle the things he had in mind…

Truth And Lies 

"So? How was it?" James pestered Paul Waters for the umpteenth time in that day. He was anxious to know the results of Paul's investigations.

Paul had gotten so frustrated at one point of time that he half-shouted out, "Please, will you just let me finish my work in peace? Otherwise the results won't be ready until next year!"

Of course, you and I both know that that was a huge exaggeration. In fact, anyone who had a sound mind would know that. Unfortunately, James thought that Paul was so perfectly serious that he backed off for a while.

He asked again 5 minutes later.

Paul, being exasperated with James, blatantly ignored him. Then, after another 15 minutes, Paul really couldn't take it any longer.

"I'm about to get the results. So please, just stop pacing back and forth. It's giving me such a headache." James immediately smiled and Paul smiled inwardly. It wasn't everyday that the famous and popular James Harold Potter listened to a nobody like him. Therefore, at that very moment, Paul Waters was milking every minute for its worth.

"Ok! Done!" Paul held the photograph high up, as if to inspect it further. But James, being so protective of Lily, didn't particularly like the way Paul was staring at the photograph. So he snatched it away from Paul. It was one of the photographs that were pasted on the school's notice board. None of it was left now, after the teachers got wind of this incident. So James was glad that he managed to grab one photograph before they were all disposed. He just hoped that the investigation would bring him closer to the truth. He needed the answer to the question of who harmed his sweet Lily.

"Well? What is it?" James questioned Paul impatiently.

"The good news is I found what did this."

"What?"

Paul suddenly got so excited. "It's the new A380F67 series! The new minute digital camera series that just came out! It has a memory size of about…" Before he could drone on, James stopped him, before he got too excited and forgot what this task was all about.

"The A380F67?"

"Yup!"

James made a mental note to himself about the model of the camera.

"Good. What else did you find out?"

"Well… that was the good news. The bad news is… I can't find out WHO did this."

"What? What do you mean you can't find out?"

"This is just a photograph," Paul explained. "I'll need the negatives to find out when this picture was taken."

For a moment, James didn't know what to say.

"What about the positives?"

(A/N: sweatdrop…)

"Er… there aren't such things, James."

"So how do I get these… negatives then?"

"You can't. Not unless you have the camera. Negatives have to be developed from the camera itself, not from the photographs alone."

"Dammit!" James cursed as he slammed a fist into the wall beside him.

Now what, he thought.

But there was hope after all. James realized that there are certain advantages being with Sirius all the time, no matter how unbelievable it sounded. After all, you're bound to have at least some tricks up your sleeves.

"Are you sure?" Albus Dumbledore peered through his half-moon shaped glasses at the young but fine man sitting in front of him, watching as the determined look on his face remained unchanged the moment he stepped into the office.

"Absolutely, Sir." James replied with such certainty in his voice that Dumbledore couldn't find any possible reason to doubt his words.

'Good. Then let's go, son."

"We have gathered here today because of a very serious matter that has happened here in Hogwarts. I have never encouraged malice amongst students and I do not see why it should start now. I'm sure every one of you, by now, knows about what happened with Miss Lily Evans. I believe this is a very uncomfortable moment and period for all of us, but I do not think that Miss Evans has done anything to deserve such treatment. What happens behind closed doors is purely her business and hers alone. I do not see any reason to disturb that peace and interfere. She is right now, still in the hospital ward, recovering from shock and her friends are still under interrogation from some of the teachers. As I said, I do not think malice is going to help anyone. Also, I think that it will be extremely unfair to her friends if they are not the culprits. Therefore, as I believe, I have always encouraged honesty amongst students, I would like to urge the real culprit of it to see me today, after this, in my office. You'll have one hour to gather up your courage and come to me. After an hour, no matter whether the culprit has turned up, everyone please meet back here in the great hall. Please, my beloved Hogwarts students, do not make me disappointed. That's all I have to say."

James was listening to each and every word that the Headmaster said and he was really impressed. Though he doubt that the culprit would own up. Poor Dumbledore, he thought dejectedly, he was really going to be so disappointed. Then, feeling worse than ever, how was he ever going to find out the truth?

"Court… Please, just own up."

"No! Bitch, are you trying to kill me?" Courtney spat in Jessica's face.

"No… I'm just saying that if you don't own up… then Dumbledore might give you more punishment than he was planning to give in the first place."

"He won't find out. No one will." Courtney glared at Jessica through slit eyes. "That is, unless you decide to spill it."

Jessica didn't say anything at first. Courtney was furious. She slapped Jessica across the face and Jessica nearly reeled from the blow. It wasn't the first time Courtney has hit her and she knew this time definitely wouldn't be the last.

"You bitch. Don't forget how I helped you when you first came to Hogwarts. You were like a lost puppy! It was I! I, Courtney Brewster, that helped you find your place and not feel like the loser that you really are! Don't you dare forget that!"

For a moment, Jessica looked shocked. Courtney was satisfied and smirking, she turned away to decide on the clothes she would wear to see Sirius, just in case she 'accidentally' bumped into James. James obviously needed someone to comfort him now and who would suit the role better than she? But what Courtney didn't see ruined her plans, or whatever that was left of it.

She didn't see the murderous look that flashed across Jessica's face. For just one moment, Jessica almost looked scary. But it was for just one moment. After that, Jessica smiled sweetly at Courtney and pointed out that there was no need to choose her outfit since she'll look good in everything she wore. Courtney beamed and didn't even bother looking Jessica's way when Jessica said that she needed to go to the library for a while.

And she didn't even notice when Jessica slipped a casual hand out of Courtney's bag and fished out the minute digital camera.

"Are you sure what you're saying now is the truth, young lady?"

"Absolutely sure, Sir. It was Courtney Brewster who did it."

"Do you have any evidence, Miss Andrews? Or is this another one of those tactics girls use just to spite one another?" Dumbledore looked at Jessica sternly.

"No. This is the absolute truth and I will swear to it."

"There will not be such a need." By the looks of it, the girl really was telling the truth.

Dumbledore looked at his tiny watch and said, "Then it's time."

One hour was up. Everyone was waiting almost expectantly, to see if Dumbledore would turn up with the culprit. Even Sirius, who didn't usually care about such stuff, craned his neck to get a better view.

Courtney stared at the empty seat beside her and wondered for the hundredth time when Jessica went.

"That idiotic bitch. Leaving me to sit alone like a loser."

Just then, Jessica appeared, seemingly breathless, but nonetheless, she looked rather elated.

"What's up with you?" Courtney snapped.

"Sorry I'm late."

"Yeah well, you should be." Courtney rolled her eyes and stared in front at the row of teachers. All of them had a glum expression on their faces. So she guessed that they didn't know the truth yet. She smirked at that knowledge and knew that she wouldn't get caught for that little act she did to that bitch Lily Evans.

Little did she know she was wrong.

Dumbledore appeared soon and looked at all the faces in front of him. Courtney felt kind of uneasy when his eyes rested on her face. Was it her, or did Dumbledore stare at her for a longer period of time than he did for the rest of the students?

Dumbledore cleared his throat and looked as glum as all the other teachers present. James crossed his fingers behind his back and Sirius was just about to laugh at that childish behaviour when he saw the serious expression on James's face. He seldom saw that expression and to him, it was kind of scary. So he decided to keep his comments to himself at that moment.

"We have found the culprit. This is a very serious case, as all of you should know. The person behind this act has caused distraught amongst students and I did not even hear the confession from the culprit herself."

At this point of time, there was a buzz about the culprit being a girl. Conclusions were made everywhere, all around the Great Hall – some said that it was one of Lily's room-mates; some said that it had to be one of the girls who were jealous of James being with Lily; some even said that it had to be one of those nerdy girls who had nothing better to do. However, the buzz stopped as quickly as it had started, as students watched the expression on Dumbledore's face change from being calm to being angry. Students who have been there for seven years have almost never seen Dumbledore come close to being angry at all. Hence, the commotion stopped all by itself. Dumbledore then continued.

"Therefore, seeing now that the culprit herself does not have any courage to own up, and seeing that she does not seem to feel any regrets about committing that act, I have no choice but to announce her to everyone."

Everyone held their breaths in anticipation. Courtney Brewster was frightened. Oh please, don't let him know, she prayed.

But it was beyond prayers now.

"Courtney Brewster from the Slytherin House, please step forward then."

Courtney was shocked. She was beyond shocked. No, she thought, how could he have known? Then, while fighting back tears of humiliation as every student and teacher of Hogwarts stared at her and shook their heads, she turned and looked at Jessica in the face. Jessica Leah Andrews smiled. "Don't worry. I'll never forget about everything you did for me, Courtney Brewster."

"YOU BITCH!" Courtney shouted and screamed, not caring anymore if the whole world was watching. They were all watching anyway. Her life was ruined now – she'd be expelled from Hogwarts, be the shame of the family and she'll never have her way with James Potter. Everything was taken away from her, even her pride. She lunged at Jessica who swiftly backed away.

The guys from Slytherin quickly grabbed hold of Courtney from both sides and Dumbledore shouted above all the commotion, "THAT'S ENOUGH!" Then in a calmer voice, he said, "bring her to my office now."

And then it was all over.

Lives went on as usual at Hogwarts, except for the fact that Courtney Brewster was expelled. There was shock, obviously. But among the shock were a few people who were truly happy about it all. James, for sure, for he had gotten revenge for his Lily. Remus too was happy, for his Jamie was off the hook for interrogation – it was making her so unhappy that he felt upset too. Sirius was happy too, for he had both his friends back to normal. All of Lily's room-mates – Jamie, Melissa and Cheryl – were all happy for Lily, and themselves.

Then there was Jessica Leah Andrews, who smiled at it all. She couldn't escape from half a year of detention because she, too, had a hand in the matter. But she had confessed in the end and Dumbledore had regarded it as being extremely wise and brave. Yet, even detention for half a year didn't stop the smile from creeping onto Jessica's face. Who could blame her, really? After all, she was finally rid of a nightmare that lasted for so many years of her life.

A/N: nice? Read & review! Thanks guys! )


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